Rule 2 already has me hooked. I can see an entire game built just around that line and I hope this will somehow be the case.
Rule 2 actually made me stop to tell people about it and come up with theories about it.
You raised the bar already with that one!
From my first impression, I would recommend having someone proofread the intro parts that contain thoughts and indirect speech. It could be smoother to read with proper punctuation to it! :) (I see someone else also commented that half a year ago, I agree!)
Make sure to check back for an edit to this post. I will add to this as I play!
First edit:
I need more time to read. I had no chance to die in front of the painting because the blinking happened before I was done reading the first paragraph. The Option in the Basement that disappears with the 2nd text block appearing was also gone at the point I reached the clickable part. I know I am not this slow. Somehow I feel like I had no chance to click the basement options without knowing the game before going there and that felt unfair and a bit demotivating to continue. I will tho. I like the concept, especially the compass and quest mechanic as such.