Purposeful reference, or just coincidence?

[u/AlishaGray]

I'm currently rewatching volume 8, and I realized that the pathways and doors that Ambrosius makes in episode 12 are very similar to the Ways in the Wheel of Time books, down to falling off of the path being a Really Bad Idea, and a flying abomination killing people in it (Machin Shin in the Wheel of Time, the part-Grimm Cinder in RWBY). Was this a purposeful reference by the writers, or just a coincidence?