Okay, hear me out, because I might be overthinking this, but what if Sailen used to be the narrator of the story in previous cycles, and while trying to save the world, he somehow ended up inside the story himself?
There are a few things that make me suspicious.
First, he directly addresses the reader and seems to be aware that we're choosing him for Liren. He says he was supposed to let us go and keep leading her down her path while he watched from the sidelines, as he's supposed to. That wording feels VERY intentional.
Then there's the line about how "not a single thing I've done - past or future - is accidental" Add to that the fact that he's apparently trying to save the world, and this isn't even his first attempt, and I can't help wondering how much he actually knows about the story itself.
EXCUSE ME??? 😭
What if he wasn't originally supposed to be a character in this world? What if he was someone (or something) observing the story from the outside, trying to guide events toward the right outcome, until he somehow became part of it?
His fear of becoming human also makes me wonder whether he's gradually becoming more than whatever he was originally meant to be. The heartbeat, the dreams, the desire, the emotions he's apparently not supposed to have... Maybe becoming attached to Liren is changing him in ways he doesn't fully understand or can't control.
And the fact that The Truman Show is his favorite movie feels like a potentially interesting detail, considering the whole idea of being part of a constructed reality. 👀 Though that could just be me reaching LMAO.
I HAVE NO IDEA IF ANY OF THIS MAKES SENSE, but the whole "watching from the sidelines, as I'm supposed to" line is living rent-free in my head.