Hello, I am creating a project where I mix Erlang and Elixir applications.
I can do this when running Erlang by executing erl manually from my bash shell and adding the path to the elixir installation using the Erlangs code module, like this:

$> erl
Erlang/OTP 24 [erts-12.0] [source] [64-bit] [smp:12:12] [ds:12:12:10] [async-threads:1] [jit]
Eshell V12.0  (abort with ^G)
1> application:start(compiler).
ok
2> code:add_path("/usr/local/lib/elixir/lib/elixir/ebin").
true
3> application:start(elixir).
ok

However, when I do the exact same inside a release that I built with rebar3, it seems like the VM can not execute any code, even if it finds the elixir.app file.

$>bin/ao_devserver console
Erlang/OTP 24 [erts-12.0] [source] [64-bit] [smp:12:12] [ds:12:12:10] [async-threads:30] [jit]
Eshell V12.0  (abort with ^G)
(ao_devserver@pop-os)1> application:start(compiler).
{error,{already_started,compiler}}
(ao_devserver@pop-os)2> code:add_path("/usr/local/lib/elixir/lib/elixir/ebin").
true
(ao_devserver@pop-os)3> application:start(elixir).
=CRASH REPORT==== 24-Apr-2022::06:19:38.775000 ===
  crasher:
    initial call: application_master:init/4
    pid: <0.998.0>
    registered_name: []
    exception exit: {bad_return,
                        {{elixir,start,[normal,[]]},
                         {'EXIT',
                             {undef,
                                 [{elixir,start,[normal,[]],[]},
                                  {application_master,start_it_old,4,
                                      [{file,"application_master.erl"},
                                       {line,293}]}]}}}}
      in function  application_master:init/4 (application_master.erl, line 142)
    ancestors: [<0.997.0>]
    message_queue_len: 1
    messages: [{'EXIT',<0.999.0>,normal}]
    links: [<0.997.0>,<0.791.0>]
    dictionary: []
    trap_exit: true
    status: running
    heap_size: 987
    stack_size: 29
    reductions: 156
  neighbours:

=INFO REPORT==== 24-Apr-2022::06:19:38.776020 ===
    application: elixir
    exited: {bad_return,
                {{elixir,start,[normal,[]]},
                 {'EXIT',
                     {undef,
                         [{elixir,start,[normal,[]],[]},
                          {application_master,start_it_old,4,
                              [{file,"application_master.erl"},
                               {line,293}]}]}}}}
    type: temporary

{error,
    {bad_return,
        {{elixir,start,[normal,[]]},
         {'EXIT',
             {undef,
                 [{elixir,start,[normal,[]],[]},
                  {application_master,start_it_old,4,
                      [{file,"application_master.erl"},{line,293}]}]}}}}}

I spent two evenings trying to figure this out, reading on stack-overflow, these forums etc but could not find anyone with same problem as me, maybe I am doing it wrong?