Thank you for trying the game out and for the kind words! You completely nailed it - I definitely overscoped.
Every game jam, I try to go for something I haven't done before. This time I aimed for a story-driven puzzle game and accidentally added a visual novel element into the mix. I ended up using an entire day on the character design and the VN implementation, which was time directly stolen from the actual game and puzzle design. The game was supposed to be a lot longer and the levels much more complicated. Because the current puzzles are pretty straightforward, you can rush through them, which makes the story pace feel way too fast.
[Spoilers ahead for the intended story!]
The narrative was meant to show that Cole (the blue technician) was never fit for the job and couldn't handle the stress. The second-to-last level was supposed to be a highly complex puzzle where it would be mathematically impossible to reach the exit with all of the characters in the given turn limit. This would have tied the game mechanics directly to the story, forcing a sacrifice. But, as you guessed, those levels were rushed on the final day, so it didn't go as planned.
To answer your question about the epilogue: the second-to-last level was meant to imply that you, as Cole, directly activated the fire extinguishing system in the library. This system sucks all the air out of the rooms while Chloe is still inside, effectively killing her. It is also only mentioned once, but they were dating.
Crushed by the guilt of killing his loved one, Cole decides to take his own life, which is what that final level represents. Cole is already lost, and Marcus cannot help him at this point, no matter how hard he tries. This is symbolized mechanically by the fact that the level exit is exactly 1 space away from ever being reached by Marcus (since he uses 2 turns for moving, he will always be one turn short). The final fade to white symbolizes Cole shooting himself. Because of the rushed execution, I know it falls a bit flat and is hard to piece together.
Thank you again for playing and for the thoughtful feedback. I am really glad you liked how the characters turned out!