Thanks for the comment! Sorry to hear that the game was confusing! I can see how it's a bit unconventional on how you're able to play.
You have a good point about the information the player gets from the crystal. Having the "shines brightly" message only for the target room probably makes more sense if it didn't take up your turn, which I'm considering doing.
Other characters are definitely crucial to the story, but maybe I could also add a way for the player to interact with them on a gameplay level, like misleading them for example.