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The bedroom was more opulent than she'd initially realized. The walls were painted a deep midnight blue, adorned with what appeared to be constellations picked out in silver leaf. As an astronomer, she couldn't help but notice they were accurate—Cassiopeia, Orion, and the Big Dipper all precisely mapped as they would appear in the northern hemisphere's winter sky.

"Someone did their research," she murmured, tracing a finger along the silver stars. "Or they're really into astronomy."

A massive armoire stood against one wall, its doors inlaid with mother-of-pearl moons. She opened it cautiously, revealing rows of women's clothing. Her size. Her preferred style.

"Okay, that's creepy," she whispered, closing the doors with a soft click.

The en suite bathroom gleamed with marble and gold fixtures. Thick towels hung from heated rails, and the shower was stocked with expensive products.

Back in the bedroom, she surveyed for potential weapons. A brass lamp? Too unwieldy. A letter opener by the desk? Too flimsy. Her gaze landed on a heavy silver candlestick atop the mantelpiece—substantial enough to do damage if necessary.

"This will have to do," she said, gripping it firmly. Its weight was reassuring in her palm.

She suddenly remembered her phone and patted her dress, finding the tiny pocket that still held her slim smartphone. Relief washed over her until she pressed the power button. Nothing.

"Dead. Of course, it's dead," she muttered, searching drawers and cabinets for a charging cable. She found stationery, books, even a small sewing kit—but nothing electronic.

"What kind of kidnapper provides Egyptian cotton sheets but no phone charger?"

She approached the door leading out of the suite, adrenaline heightening her senses. With her ear pressed against the cool wood, she listened. Not a sound penetrated from the other side—no voices, no footsteps, nothing.

"Here goes nothing," she whispered, gripping the candlestick tighter as she tested the door handle.

To her surprise, it turned easily. Not locked.

Seraphina opened the door a crack, peering into the corridor beyond. The hallway stretched in both directions, lined with similar doors spaced at regular intervals. Crystal sconces cast warm light on walls covered in silk damask. Plush carpet muffled any sound her feet might make. Like the bedroom suite, everything spoke of wealth and refined taste.

But most striking was the absolute silence. No guards. No captors. No other people at all.

"I'm either in the world's most luxurious abandoned resort or the strangest five-star hotel on earth," she whispered.

She stepped back into her room, leaving the door slightly ajar. "Okay, Sera. First step: figure out where you are. Second step: figure out who brought you here. Third step: get home without being eaten by wolf monsters."

She ventured back into the hallway, her bare feet sinking into the lush carpeting as she moved. The corridors twisted and turned, revealing the building to be far more extensive than she'd initially imagined. Tapestries depicting forest scenes and night skies adorned stone walls, while sconces cast flickering amber light that danced across ancient-looking wooden beams overhead.

"This isn't a resort—it's a castle," she whispered aloud, running her fingers along the cool stone wall.

She peeked into rooms as she passed: a music room with a grand piano positioned before floor-to-ceiling windows, a library with shelves that soared two stories high, and a formaldining room with a table long enough to seat forty people. Each space was immaculately maintained but eerily vacant.

The scientific part of her brain attempted to catalog every detail, searching for patterns or clues. The astronomer in her couldn't help but notice celestial motifs repeated throughout—star-shaped door handles, crescent moon carvings on furniture legs, and constellation patterns woven into rugs.

Rounding a corner, Seraphina nearly collided with a young woman hurrying down the hall.

"Oh!" the woman gasped, almost dropping her armload of neatly folded clothing and toiletry items. She took a startled step back, her brown ponytail swinging.

"I'm so sorry," Seraphina said, reaching out instinctively to steady a sliding bottle of what appeared to be expensive shampoo. "I didn't realize anyone else was here."

The woman regained her composure quickly, adjusting her crisp uniform—definitely maid attire, but with an unusual silver emblem pinned at the collar. "No need to apologize, miss. I'm Verna." Her smile seemed genuine if somewhat nervous. "I was just taking these to your quarters."

"My quarters?" Seraphina glanced at the luxurious items. "That's really not necessary. Actually, I'd like to go home right away. Could you tell me who's in charge here?"

Verna's expression flickered with uncertainty. "I can't really say anything about that, miss. I'm just following orders to make sure you have everything you need."

"Orders from whom?" Seraphina pressed, trying to keep the desperation from her voice.

"I can't say, miss." Verna shifted her burden, her eyes filled with wariness. "These really should be delivered to your room. If you'll excuse me."

Verna slipped past her, continuing down the corridor toward the room Seraphina had awakened in. Seraphina watched hergo, torn between following to extract more information and continuing her exploration. The maid clearly wasn't going to share any information right now about Seraphina's situation.