Hey there! I gotta admit, your comment totally made my day. I can now say it's my favorite feedback, not only because it's positive but also for the level of detail you brought and for showing that I'm on the right track to achieve the story's goal. I love adding subtle elements intentionally, and everything is carefully planned, studied, and strategically written. So, I couldn't ask for a more motivating comment than yours. Thanks a bunch for that!
I'd love to respond directly to some of the points you raised, but I'm kind of a spoiler expert, haha. Well, I've already written the whole story, but it was in the third person and linear format. I decided to adapt it to a visual novel format with branching dialogues and multiple paths. I hope you'll enjoy it when the narrative reaches its climax, but that's going to take a bit of time =)
For the next chapter, you can expect a lot of character skill development, revelations about the MC's past, and some important decisions. When it comes to characters, Scarlet is possibly my favorite (maybe I shouldn't have a favorite, but I can't help it).
Lastly, thanks again for all the encouragement =) I work about 10 hours a day, so I have limited free time to work on the project, but rest assured, the next chapter will always come, no chance of me giving up, and comments like yours only fuel my motivation even more.
(P.S. Intentional? Not really. But upon reflection, well, attack on titan is one of my favorites, and I've always admired the plot and how the narrative unfolds. So it's definitely a strong reference for inspiration that's deeply ingrained in my subconscious, both in form and content. So the most honest answer would be a yes =) ).