Though I believe this is a strong game in terms of mechanics, it seems the only way it is trying to adhere to the theme through the narrative.
To be frank, I believe this game would've been a much better fit in the other competition, with a platformer lacking a crucial game mechanic, as you yourself suggested.
It's a good game! And the visuals are interesting and spooky, but I'm not certain it fits the theme to an appropriate extent.