Thank you!
While I was designing the levels, I thought about how other players would have no idea what each level would bring, but I knew exactly was behind the darkness in every level. Then when I came to level 7, I thought... what if the player thought they were playing a normal level... when they'd later realize that the actual level was hidden beneath them all along? So yeah, it's great that that feeling came across for you!
As for embracing the deaths, that's something I had in mind as I developed this game. Players would originally fear taking unpleasant risks, but as the levels went on, they would learn to not have to be afraid of the dark, as it's how they learn from their mistakes.