#### **Chapter 13: The Warden's Trap**
The Warden stood in the center of the cavernous warehouse, a silent sentinel amidst a web of death. The air was thick with the smell of rust and salt water. In a reinforced cage in the corner, Midnight watched him with wary, intelligent eyes. The cat was the bait. The warehouse was the hammer.
He had designed the trap himself. The floor was rigged with pressure plates. High-frequency emitters, tuned to disorient the human inner ear, were hidden in the rafters. Strobe lights, programmed to flash in unpredictable, seizure-inducing patterns, were wired to the entrance. It was a symphony of sensory overload, designed specifically to shatter the focus required for Renji's combat clairvoyance.
"He is coming," The Warden said to one of his men. "He is emotional. He is predictable. When he enters, activate the protocol. I will deal with him myself."
He believed in order. And the time had come to restore it.