Thanks for your reply as well! I'm glad this was helpful. Your insights into your creative process was really intriguing, and I'm glad you shared this.
It was really interesting to hear that you planned to avoid too much inner monologue- I'm glad that you steered clear of that as that is often a worse option. One possible way to show more reflection without going into thoughts or monologues is to expand on dialogue and add more emotional reactions. I also love the idea of the connected routes. I didn't get to experience this but it sounds like a really intriguing way to tie the whole story together.
Beginning works often set the course for success in later works so its great that you discovered new strategies that help you in your writing. I wish you the best of luck for future projects! If you ever need any assistance with editing or story development feel free to reach out to me. Good luck :)