Chapter 51 - Against the Shadow

Summary

Rand al'Thor flees the Eye of the World as the Forsaken Aginor pursues him, culminating in a spiritual struggle where Rand severs Aginor's connection to the Dark One with a blade of Light and escapes into a vision of the Last Battle at Shayol Ghul. In this vision, Rand commands elemental forces to destroy the Trolloc host before ascending a staircase into the void, where he confronts Ba'alzamon in the shattered palace of Lews Therin Telamon. Ba'alzamon attempts to break Rand's will by summoning hallucinations of his mother Kari and other loved ones, but Rand remains steadfast in the void, slaying the illusions with the blade of Light and finally severing Ba'alzamon's cord of power, causing the dream realm to collapse and Rand to fall through endless black while enduring tremendous physical and mental agony.

Characters

• Rand / Rand al'Thor — Rand flees the Eye of the World, pursued by Aginor, and engages in a spiritual tug-of-war that allows him to channel the Light. He escapes into a vision of the Last Battle where he destroys the Trolloc horde with wind and earth. He then climbs stairs into a void and confronts Ba'alzamon, resisting hallucinations of his mother by wielding a blade of Light to sever Ba'alzamon's cord and collapse the dream palace.
• Aginor (the Forsaken) — Aginor pursues Rand with intent to capture him, gaining physical strength through his connection to the Dark One. He attempts to claim the Light for himself but is denied by Rand. Rand confronts him with a blade of Light, which forces Aginor to shield himself from the fire before Rand severs his cord, causing Aginor's form to wither and scream as his power source is cut off.
• Ba'alzamon (the Lord of the Grave, the Father of Lies) — Ba'alzamon appears in the ruined palace of Lews Therin Telamon, taunting Rand with truths about his past and the futility of his resistance. He summons hallucinations of Rand's mother Kari and others to break Rand's resolve, but when Rand kills the illusion with the blade of Light, Ba'alzamon recoils in fear. Rand then severs Ba'alzamon's cord of power, causing him to scream as his connection is destroyed.
• Kari al'Thor / Kari (Mother, his mother) — Ba'alzamon summons a hallucination of Rand's deceased mother, Kari, who stands before him with a hopeless smile and weeps burning tears. She begs Rand for help, claiming the Dark One is her master, before being surrounded and assaulted by pale, eyeless Fades, screaming as Rand watches in horror.