The dithering, like skamocore said, seems a little off. I think it's a good idea to only use dithering when transitioning to another shade or if you have a limited pallete. This has a very odd texture because of it.

Sorry, I don't quite see how this fits the challenge; how is the light from the candle a mysterious glow?

Also, about the piece itself, I think you have really overdithered the light from the candle, in fact I would say it would be unnecessary to use dithering there at all there. The way you have used many similar shades on the character as well as using dark outlines make the character appear very rough and 'noisy'. I think this piece could be improved by using fewer colours on the character and reconsidering the dark internal lines.