Laravel 5.3 middleware execution order bug - laravel

Question

I'm having a problem:
No matter what I do, the auth middleware is ALWAYS executed before other middlewares!
Here's what I tried:
Created a middleware named aa (so it comes before auth at least alphabetically).
I also put it before the auth one in Kernel.php
Then I created a nested route group:
Route::group(['prefix' => 'test', 'middleware' => 'aa'], function() {
Route::get('/', function() {
return 'test';
});
Route::group(['prefix' => 'test2', 'middleware' => 'auth:api'], function() {
Route::get('/', function() {
return 'test2';
});
});
});
If I go to /test/test2 the auth middleware gets executed before the aa one.
If I go to /test then I see the aa middleware is executed..
the middleware code is really easy:
public function handle($request, Closure $next)
{
dd('aa middleware!');
}
Here is Kernel.php as requested from #Rimon Khan
namespace App\Http;
use Illuminate\Foundation\Http\Kernel as HttpKernel;
class Kernel extends HttpKernel
{
protected $middleware = [
\Illuminate\Foundation\Http\Middleware\CheckForMaintenanceMode::class,
];
protected $middlewareGroups = [
'web' => [
\App\Http\Middleware\EncryptCookies::class,
\Illuminate\Cookie\Middleware\AddQueuedCookiesToResponse::class,
\Illuminate\Session\Middleware\StartSession::class,
\Illuminate\View\Middleware\ShareErrorsFromSession::class,
\App\Http\Middleware\VerifyCsrfToken::class,
\Illuminate\Routing\Middleware\SubstituteBindings::class,
],
'api' => [
'bindings',
],
];
protected $routeMiddleware = [
'aa' => \App\Http\Middleware\Aa::class,
'auth' => \Illuminate\Auth\Middleware\Authenticate::class,
'auth.basic' => \Illuminate\Auth\Middleware\AuthenticateWithBasicAuth::class,
'bindings' => \Illuminate\Routing\Middleware\SubstituteBindings::class,
'can' => \Illuminate\Auth\Middleware\Authorize::class,
'guest' => \App\Http\Middleware\RedirectIfAuthenticated::class,
'throttle' => \Illuminate\Routing\Middleware\ThrottleRequests::class
];
}
Edit: #prateekkathal you will never convert me to use spaces instead of tabs even if you force edit my post and change the indentation! lol

Answer 1

I got the answer. You should override the $middlewarePriority in your Kernel.php.
/**
* The priority-sorted list of middleware.
*
* Forces the listed middleware to always be in the given order.
*
* #var array
*/
protected $middlewarePriority = [
\Illuminate\Session\Middleware\StartSession::class,
\Illuminate\View\Middleware\ShareErrorsFromSession::class,
\Illuminate\Auth\Middleware\Authenticate::class,
\Illuminate\Session\Middleware\AuthenticateSession::class,
\Illuminate\Routing\Middleware\SubstituteBindings::class,
\Illuminate\Auth\Middleware\Authorize::class,
];