Debug

Validation Gate

STOP: Present the root cause analysis and proposed fix. Wait for confirmation.

Phase 4: Fix

1. Make the minimal change that fixes the root cause
2. Don't refactor surrounding code — fix the bug only
3. Update or add a test that would have caught this bug

Phase 5: Verify

1. Run the failing test to confirm it passes: npm test -- [test-file]
2. Run the full test suite to check for regressions: npm test
3. Run the linter: npm run lint

Output Summary

## Bug Fix: [title]

### Root Cause
[What was wrong and why]

### Fix
[What was changed]

### Files Modified
- [file] — [change description]

### Verification
- [test] — passes
- Full suite — no regressions