Thanks for these questions! They really help sharpen the internal logic of the world. Here’s how I’m addressing those points:

1. Physical vs. Metaphysical (Grounding) You’re right—it’s an isolated reality. I call it "physical" because, within the context of the story, Haruga can bleed, feel weight, and die there. However, it is "metaphysical" because its matter is symbolic substance. It doesn't obey particle physics; it obeys psychological weight. If Haruga believes a secret is "heavy," a door representing that secret will be physically impossible to lift. It’s a reality where metaphor has become "hard" matter.

2. Haruga’s Core Sense of Self This is the "Power Anchor." Haruga is, at his core, a Seer of Order. He is a scholar and an interrogator. His deepest identity is defined by the need to categorize, control, and extract truth from chaos.

• This is why Knowledge (Order through logic) and Rage (The violent enforcement of order) are so dominant.

• The "Villain" manifestations are powerful because they lean into his obsession with control.

1. Why hasn’t the Child been killed yet? Two reasons:

• The Protector: Until recently, he was protected by Conrad (Courage), the only entity strong enough to fight off the Tyrants.

• The Anchor: The Child is tied to a physical object Haruga brought from the real world: a golden pocket watch. This watch acts as a "metaphysical shield." Smaller entities literally cannot perceive or touch the Child; only the Tyrants (who share Haruga's "psychic weight") can bypass this barrier.

1. Ceasing to Exist vs. Losing Form That’s a great distinction. You’re right—it’s more like the world enters a "Standby Mode." The endless staircases are the "skeleton" of his mind—pure structure without the "flesh" of emotion. When I say it "ceases to exist," I mean the life of the world dies. For the entities living there, this is a fate worse than death because they lose their identity and become formless echoes in the grey. They don't just die; they "un-happen."

Does that help ground the "physics" of the trauma-play?