The arena shook with the roars of monsters and the wild cheers of devils. The cries bounced off the black stone walls like thunder rolling through a storm. To the humans, bloodied and staggering, it was a nightmare given voice. They realized the truth in a single terrible instant: there was no path back. The portal they had marched through with such resolve was gone, sealed shut by devil magic.
Behind them, where the way home should have been, there was only a solid wall of black stone. No shimmer of escape. No light of return. Only darkness. Retreat was no longer an option.
"Fall back! Inside the barrier!" someone screamed, desperation twisting their voice, and the soldiers scrambled to obey.
