The Death Mask

The story's suspense kept me on the edge, but I wonder how much of that tension was planned from the start versus developed during writing.

The story felt like it was building slowly but then suddenly rushed to the conclusion. Was that intentional to heighten the suspense or just how it unfolded?

I felt deeply connected to the characters, but some plot twists seemed to overshadow their growth. Do others feel the same or prefer one over the other?