The final stage was called the Convergence Trial.
Lucien had chosen the name because everything learned so far had to come together.
It did not introduce an entirely new concept.
That would have defeated the purpose.
Instead, each finalist entered a compact battlefield designed around their classification.
They received one primary objective and several optional opportunities.
Suppression changed during the trial.
Restrictions appeared.
Hostile constructs moved intelligently rather than remaining in fixed positions.
Preserved battlefield pressure rose and fell.
Resources existed inside the sector, but acquiring them could cost valuable time.
Some participants were even offered choices between an easier route with lower scoring potential and a more dangerous route with greater rewards.
Nothing required them to choose the harder path.
That mattered.
Lucien wanted to know who understood their own limits.
The trial was not asking whether someone possessed courage.
