Ahh you were so close! There's one last puzzle after you get the golden idol, just have to observe / think backwards a bit. You can actually just barely see the other figure earlier, but it is a missable moment if you go quick. The last puzzle doesn't have to do with him at all.
I fiddled with footstep SFX but in the time allotted, I couldn't get them sounding nice enough that they were a plus and not a minus. Maybe after the jam period I'll give it another crack, I agree it would fill up the soundscape appropriately.