Lily had always been a curious soul. Ever since she was young, she loved hearing the stories and rumors that swirled through the small town where she lived. But there was one story that fascinated her more than any other-the story of the boy in the woods.

Nobody in town knew his name. They only spoke of him in hushed whispers, as if mentioning him out loud would somehow summon him. The older villagers said he had once been a part of the town, but after some horrible event, he disappeared into the forest, never to return. Some said he had died in those woods, while others claimed he had become something else, something unnatural.

"Don't go into the woods alone at night," people would warn. "The boy lives there, and it's cursed."

Lily always rolled her eyes at the warnings. To her, it sounded like one of those old folk tales meant to scare children into behaving. The kind of story that made you afraid of shadows and dark corners. She wasn't a child anymore, and besides, the idea of someone living alone in the woods, untouched by the rest of the world, intrigued her.

She had heard the stories her whole life, and yet, she had never seen any proof. No one had ever gone into the woods and come back saying they'd seen him. The more Lily thought about it, the more she convinced herself that it was all just made-up. A mystery she needed to solve.

So one night, when the town was quiet and the streets were empty, she decided to do just that.

Slipping out of her bedroom window, Lily felt a thrill of excitement run through her as her feet hit the cool ground. The moon was high, casting a pale glow over the town, and the woods loomed dark and vast in the distance. She had never ventured there alone before, but something about the stillness of the night made her feel brave.

With each step she took toward the woods, her heart beat a little faster, but not from fear-from anticipation. What if the stories were true? What if there really was someone living out there? She had to know.

The woods were darker than she expected, the trees tall and thick, blocking out most of the moonlight. Every rustle of leaves or snap of a twig made her jump, but she pressed on, her curiosity driving her deeper into the forest.

The deeper she went, the more the world around her seemed to fall silent. The usual sounds of crickets and nocturnal animals faded, replaced by an eerie stillness that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She stopped for a moment, looking around, trying to get her bearings.

That's when it happened. Her foot caught on a rock hidden beneath the underbrush, and she lost her balance, falling forward. Lily gasped, bracing herself for the impact, but it never came.

Instead, strong hands caught her mid-fall, pulling her upright before she could hit the ground. Her heart raced as she looked up, expecting to see... well, she wasn't sure what she expected. But standing before her was a figure cloaked in shadows, his face partially hidden by a hood and a black half-mask.

"Are you okay?" a low, quiet voice asked.

Lily blinked, her breath catching in her throat. She looked up, and in the dim light, she saw the man's face-or at least half of it. The part that was visible was strikingly handsome, with sharp features and a strong jawline. His dark hair fell slightly over his forehead, but what drew her in were his eyes-intense and watchful, as if he were studying her as much as she was studying him.

"Yeah," Lily said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm okay."

She couldn't stop staring at him. The stories had always made the boy in the woods sound like a monster, something to be feared. But this man-whoever he was-wasn't monstrous at all. At least, not the part she could see.

"You're... handsome," she blurted out, not thinking.

A flash of something-surprise? amusement?-crossed his face. "You sure about that?" he asked, his voice almost teasing.

Before she could answer, the man reached up and slowly removed the half-mask, revealing the other side of his face. Lily's eyes widened as she took it in.

Half of his face was normal, human. But the other half... was skeletal. Stark white bone where there should have been skin, hollow eye sockets that seemed almost unreal, like something out of a nightmare. It was as if death itself had claimed half of him, leaving him trapped between two worlds.

"Are you scared now?" he asked, his voice softer, almost resigned.

Lily's heart thudded in her chest, but not out of fear. She looked at him-really looked at him-and saw beyond the bone, beyond the strangeness of his appearance.

"No," she said after a moment, her voice steady. "You're human after all. And you're nice."

He frowned slightly, as if he didn't believe her. "How do you know I'm nice?" he asked.

"Because you caught me," Lily said simply. "And you asked if I was okay."

The man looked at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Finally, he seemed to relax a little, lowering his hood. The moonlight caught his features, and Lily could see him more clearly now-both the human side and the skeletal side. He was different, yes, but she didn't see a monster.

"What's your name?" she asked, her voice softer now, curious.

There was a pause before he answered, as if he hadn't spoken his name aloud in years. "Kael."

"Lily," she said, offering a small smile. "My name's Lily."

They stood in silence for a moment, the woods around them strangely calm. Lily felt an odd sense of peace despite everything. She had come looking for a mystery, and instead, she had found something-or someone-unexpected.

"Why are you out here, Lily?" Kael asked, his voice thoughtful.

"I wanted to see if the stories were true," she admitted. "I guess they are."

"Most people would've run away by now," Kael said, tilting his head slightly. "You're not like them."

Lily shrugged, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Maybe I'm not like most people."

Kael didn't respond, but for the first time in years, he felt something stir inside him-something that had been buried deep beneath the weight of his curse and his isolation.

Maybe, just maybe, he wasn't as alone as he thought.

Lily stood there, staring at Kael, her curiosity still burning as bright as ever. The way he looked at her, a mixture of confusion and wariness, didn't faze her one bit. She folded her arms, as if daring him to question her motives.

"I'm gonna see you again tomorrow night," she said, matter-of-factly.

Kael's brows furrowed beneath his hood, and he took a step back. "Why would you want to see me again?" His voice held an edge, as if he couldn't understand why she would willingly return to him, to the woods, to this isolation he had built around himself.

Lily shrugged, her lips curving into a playful smile. "I thought we were friends now."

"Friends?" Kael's voice was low, almost disbelieving. His eyes, the human one and the hollow, skeletal one, both searched her face for any hint of insincerity. "I don't think anyone's ever considered me a friend."

"Well, I do," she replied, standing her ground. "And whether you consider me one or not, I'm still gonna come see you tomorrow. So get used to it."

Kael blinked, stunned by her resolve. She was serious-she didn't care what he looked like or what kind of life he led out here in the forest. She was determined to come back, and that confused him more than anything. He had spent so long hiding away, believing no one would ever want to be near him. Yet here she was, declaring her intention to return like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Why?" he asked again, softer this time. "Why do you want to come back?"

Lily smiled, taking a step closer. "Because you're interesting, and I don't get scared easily. Besides, I like getting to know people, and you seem like someone worth knowing."

Kael didn't respond right away. He was still trying to wrap his head around the idea that someone-anyone-wanted to spend time with him. His skeletal jaw clenched slightly, his emotions hidden behind the mask he had taken off.

"Fine," he muttered, finally giving in. "Do what you want. But don't say I didn't warn you."

Lily's smile widened, a little triumphant, though she didn't push him any further. "I'll be back tomorrow then. Same time."

With that, she turned on her heel and started walking back toward the edge of the woods. Kael stood frozen in place, watching her figure disappear through the trees, still unsure of what had just happened.

For the first time in a long while, he wasn't alone. And that scared him more than he was willing to admit.