Question about Phantasmat stories 1 & 2 (spoilers)

It's been a while since I played the first couple Phantasmat games and I'm still wondering about the story endings. Did I miss something? I was never clear about whether the player was alive or dead at the end. I remember there was a serious accident in the beginning of the game and then you went on to meet several characters you later found had died long before. When you leave the game are you still living? Did you really escape? Or was this intentionally left to the player to decide? What do you think?

I hope that someone with a better memory than mine will be able to offer some opinions on your questions. I haven't played these games since they were released. I remember enjoying them - but that's all I remember!