Floor 8 had an Earth access point, which was something he planned for from the moment they arrived on this floor.
Most floors maintained connections to the world below after a certain point in the climb, portals that allowed climbers to return home for brief periods before the inexorable pull of the climb drew them back. The gates were regulated, monitored, and limited to climbers who proved themselves worthy of the privilege.
Dante rarely used them in his original timeline because there was nothing to go back for, not after his mother died and Yuki grew distant from the brother who was never home. But this time was different, and this time he had someone waiting.
"You're going back?" Ravenna sat cross-legged on her bedroll, watching him pack a small bag with the supplies he would need for a three-day trip as her tail swayed slowly behind her. "To Earth?"
