Ylläs/Pallas or Kuusamo/Riisitunturi for enchanted forests & aurora? (Jan 2027, no skiing)

Planning what's likely my only trip to Finnish Lapland (Jan 8–18, 2027, 8 nights, solo, self-drive, flying into Kittilä). Trying to get this right rather than cram in places — would love input from people who know the area.
Priority: not skiing/snowmobiling — I want enchanted snow-sculpted forests, blue-hour photography, and (hopefully) aurora. Relaxed pace over covering ground.
Option A: Levi (4 nights, incl. 1 glass igloo) + Ylläs (4 nights) + Pallas day trips. Everything I've read says Pallas has some of Finland's best fell scenery.
Option B: Levi (4 nights, incl. 1 glass igloo) + Kuusamo/Riisitunturi (4 nights).
Leaning toward B logistically as an open-jaw (fly into Kittilä, home from Kuusamo, one-way rental) since the drive between them is ~4h45m–5h each way — but not sure if that's the right call or if the drive itself is worth doing twice.
Also intentionally skipping Oulanka in Option B to keep pace relaxed — tell me if that's a mistake.
Questions:
Which option wins for forests/aurora/photography/relaxed pace?
Am I missing out by skipping Saariselkä/Luosto, or does Levi/Ylläs/Pallas already cover the quintessential experience?
Is Kuusamo/Riisitunturi distinctive enough to justify the extra drive vs. more time in Ylläs/Pallas? Also — is there an actual difference between "krummholz" and "tykky," and does the phenomenon vary between the two regions?
Does open-jaw flights + one-way rental make sense for the Levi–Kuusamo leg, or is there a better approach?
If you had one week to show someone the best of winter Lapland, what would you change?
Are Jan 8–18 good dates for the snow-sculpted trees? (Originally considered mid-December but heard that's too early.)
Not looking for lots of activities — happy to spend hours snowshoeing and just taking in scenery. Want to come home feeling I saw the best Lapland has to offer. Especially keen to hear from anyone who's done both Ylläs/Pallas and Kuusamo/Riisitunturi.