# Mark a phase that is not yet executable

## Intention

I want to mark explicitly the boundary of a future computation round.

Classes of acts with successive rounds need a marked boundary for a future computation round. A stage is reserved; it is not an executable phase.

## Incorrect form and why it stays silent

An empty stage cannot be treated as a safe comment while expecting inference to continue. A non-empty body is also forbidden.

```text title="Incorrect form"
stage NextRound { assert ready(); }
```

## Correct form

The correct reservation form is an empty body. That is a compilable mark of non-executability, not a working round program.

```law
language "law.core" version "0.2";
package recipes.n.r14 version "0.1.0";
namespace "urn:recipe:n-package:14";

relation ready();
assert ready();
stage NextRound {}
```

## Frozen execution scene

| Facts | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| ready(), program with stage | ready() | NON_EXECUTABLE_STAGE |

```law
test "reserved stage halts document" {
    given {
        context {
            legal_time @2026-09-13;
            decision_time @2026-09-13T09:00:00+05:00;
            knowledge_time @2026-09-13T09:00:00+05:00;
            timezone "Asia/Almaty";
        }

    }
    evaluate truth(ready());
    expect issue(NON_EXECUTABLE_STAGE);
}
```

## Counterfactual

The scene pins exactly the fatal boundary. The teaches mutation nests an assert in the stage body: a syntactic rejection. Removing stage is needed for execution, but it does not replace future phase semantics.

## Boundary

In 0.2 there is no round index and no local stratification. Working stratification belongs to book V; local rounds belong to future 0.3.

## Pitfall

Even an empty stage stops the document with NON_EXECUTABLE_STAGE. “Write the body later” cannot be left in an executable package as a no-op.