The Phantom of the Woods

Restless Nights

The moon hung high in the night sky, casting a soft glow over the forest, and the quiet hum of crickets filled the air. Lily lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep. The soft warmth of her blankets did nothing to soothe the racing thoughts swirling in her mind. She turned onto her side, glancing at the small clock on her nightstand-1:32 AM, but sleep still felt miles away.

Her mind kept drifting back to the conversation with Iona. Love. How could love cure Kael? The more she thought about it, the more her heart raced, her mind wandering through a maze of questions. The word echoed in her thoughts like a faint whisper-love. The answer had been with her all along, Iona had said. But what did that even mean?

Lily sighed deeply, closing her eyes, trying to calm her restless thoughts. But all she could think about was Kael. His quiet strength, the way he looked at her like she was more than just a girl who wandered into his life. And now, the weight of Iona's prophecy made everything between them feel... different.

Love, she thought again. Was she even ready to think about that? She had kissed Kael, and that moment had been more than she ever expected, but love? That felt so big, so overwhelming.

Her thoughts drifted to one of her favorite Disney movies, Beauty and the Beast. She could almost see the scene playing in her mind-the Beast, cursed and isolated, waiting for love to break his curse. It was all so familiar, and yet, so far from her reality. But as the scenes from the movie played in her head, she couldn't help but wonder if maybe her and Kael's situation wasn't so different after all.

Was Kael her version of the Beast?

The comparison made her smile, if only for a moment. But the weight of reality quickly returned. In the movie, love had been the key to breaking the curse-true, unconditional love. Was that what Iona meant? Was it her love that would save Kael?

Lily turned over in bed again, pulling the blanket tighter around her shoulders. It was all too much to process at once, and as much as she tried, she couldn't shake the feeling that something big was coming. Something that neither she nor Kael could prepare for.

---

Miles away, Kael lay in his bed at the cabin, staring up at the wooden beams above him. His body was still and his breathing steady, but his mind was anything but calm. Iona's words had been circling in his head ever since they left her house.

Love.

He huffed out a breath, shaking his head slightly. It sounded ridiculous, like something out of a fairy tale or a dream, but there was a part of him-a small part-that wondered if it could really be true. He had spent so long hiding from the world, shutting people out, believing that his fate was sealed. But now... now everything felt uncertain.

Kael thought about Lily, the way she had kissed him, how soft her lips had felt against his. He hadn't expected it, but when she turned away, apologizing, something inside him had shifted. It wasn't just about breaking a curse-it was about her, about how she made him feel human again, seen. The way she looked at him, not with pity or fear, but like he was just... Kael.

He couldn't deny that he was drawn to her in ways he hadn't been to anyone before. She was stubborn, curious, and unafraid to ask questions, even the ones he didn't always want to answer. But she was also kind, and every time she showed up at his cabin, it made the world feel a little less lonely.

Kael exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. Love. Could that really be the answer?

He wasn't sure if he could believe it. But if it was true-if love really was the key to lifting the curse-then what did that mean for him and Lily? Was he ready for something like that? Did he even deserve it?

His mind drifted back to his parents, and the way they had tried so desperately to find a solution for him, to help him. They had believed in Iona, believed that she might have the answers they needed. But they never got the chance to find out. Now it was just him, standing on the edge of something he didn't fully understand.

And then there was Lily-young, free, with so much life ahead of her. She could be anywhere right now, doing anything, but instead, she kept coming back to him. He couldn't figure out why, but every time she showed up, a small part of him was grateful.

Kael rolled onto his side, his eyes drifting to the window. The moonlight filtered in, casting pale shadows on the floor. He thought of Lily again, her smile, the way her eyes lit up when she asked him questions. He couldn't get her out of his mind, and for the first time in a long time, he wasn't sure he wanted to.

Love.

The word lingered in his thoughts as he closed his eyes. Whatever the future held, he knew one thing for sure-he wasn't facing it alone.