He continued to sew and think, feeling a glimmer of hope returning, when he heard noises coming from below. It seemed that his father had returned home. Salazar looked at the clock, he had returned earlier than usual. It wasn’t even dark outside yet. But it seemed that something was wrong. Salazar heard his father shouting something angrily, then the voice of his mother, higher than usual. What was happening?
He felt a chill running down his spine as he heard heavy footsteps going up the stairs and head right towards his room. His father opened the door angrily. A wrathful expression on his face, his eyes were like two coals on fire that penetrated him with a terrible look. Salazar immediately sprang on his feet and instinctively stepped back, as his father looked frightful, completely furious.
"You...!" spitted out in a hiss, advancing a few steps toward him, then his gaze moved on the sewing machine on the table. "I should have realized what kind of person you have become... and these effeminate pastimes…!” in an outburst of rage he threw down everything that was over the table. The sewing machine fell violently to the ground, breaking in several pieces that rolled on the floor. The noise startled Salazar, who flattened himself against the wall, shaking like a leaf. His mother appeared in the doorway, eyes wide open.
"What's going on? What’s the reason for all of this?" she asked anxiously. "What is happening is that the degenerate who was once our son has been seen behaving intimately with another man" he spat out the last words as a poison, with pure disgust, the vein on his forehead throbbing for the rage.
Salazar instantly felt every energy completely drained from his body, and turned as white as a sheet. They had been seen by someone? But when? They had always been very careful, this couldn’t be! His mother gasped for a moment, as if unable to comprehend what had just heard. “S-Salazar..? No, this is not possible...” She turned to him, her face pale. “It's all false... isn’t it? Tell me that's just a lie, please...” Salazar couldn’t move a muscle. He lacked air in the lungs, and his head was spinning fast. He could hardly look at his mother, who held her hands crossed on her chest, as if to beg him. He could have denied everything. But with what courage he could lie so blatantly to his parents? He could have never done that to them.
"I- I'm sorry." could barely whisper, his mouth trembling. His mother dropped her arms, her eyes filled with tears. Salazar felt his heart break. He had disappointed her. The only person who always loved him sincerely, the only one who still had hope in him, and he had deeply disappointed her. He just wanted to be able to move, hug her, prostate at her feet and ask forgiveness a thousand times, then again and again until his voice would have dried in his throat, but he wasn’t able to move, his feet were like stuck to the floor.
But he still jumped in surprise when his father hit the desk with his fist. He was trembling, and Salazar was happy that was giving him his back at that moment. "How is this possible?" burst out "how did this could happen?" he turned his head and saw the tapestry on the dresser. "I was too lenient with you, I should have had educated you with more discipline!" He drew his sword and raised it in the air. Finally Salazar found the strength to move, and he hung on the arm of his father, his legs shaking. "No! I beg you, don’t do it!" he cried in a supplicating voice, "That is my gift for Virizion!" his father turned with a jerk, his pupils reduced to slit, and hit him hard with the hilt of the sword to shake him off. Immediately he fell, slamming the head on the ground. He felt the blood trickling on his face, and stain the floor. His mother gave a little cry.
"Virizion?" he replied, his voice distorted by anger "how would Virizion accept a gift from someone so disgusting like you?" then slashed the tapestry once, then once more, up to tearing it into pieces. When he finished he turned again to Salazar. He grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and lifted him bodily. For the first time Salazar looked him straight in the eyes. His gaze was crazed, filled with a deep hatred. "I've never been so humiliated in my entire life! How dare you...? You, filthy, loathsome being!” He was still holding the sword in the other hand and for a moment Salazar thought that his father was going to hit him. He couldn’t even wriggle as much as he was shaking. He was scared, but inside he felt already dead.
His mother, who had her face hidden in her hands, shouted, putting herself in front of him. "Don’t do it! Don’t hurt him! It’s still our son!” then, Princeton let him go, and Salazar sagged once again on the floor, without strength. “No.” he firmly replied. “He is no longer my son. It never really was. His birth has been only a source of sorrow for me.” He put his sword away and headed to the doorway. "I don’t want strangers in my house. Take your belongings and get out immediately. And don’t you dare to show yourself here ever again, or I won't be held responsible for my actions anymore." said, without even turning around, and then left the room.
"Father!" Salazar began, in a moment of panic, but his mother crouched beside him and silenced him with her hand. “Hush now. Don’t talk anymore. It would just make things worse. That’s how he decided, and his will has to be followed.” She stood up, voice completely emotionless. "I'm going to pack you some clothes." Salazar held out his trembling hand to her, begging with frightened voice. “No please! At least you don’t leave me ... please... mom..” She hesitated for a moment, shivering lightly, then ran away. Salazar lingered on the floor for a moment. He wondered if that was the reality or everything was only a nightmare. But his body ached in every point, and it almost seemed to hear the cries of his mother from the other room.
He slowly pulled himself up to his feet, but had to lean against the table to not fall again, for how weak he felt. His room was a mess. He picked up a piece of the ripped tapestry from the floor, and drops of blood that still flowed from his wound stained it, while the beautiful proud gaze of Virizion crossed his own. "Someone disgusting as me..." he murmured softly, sobbing.
Later his mother returned, tended his wounds, and helped him packing up everything he needed. Salazar remained silent the whole time, he knew that she was suffering enough already, and there was nothing he could say or do about it anymore. It was his fault in the end. He had lied to his parents, and he preferred to do what he desired instead of thinking about the interest of the family. He had humiliated them all, throwing mud on the family name. What he could possibly do now?
He had nobody left in the world, now that his family had disowned him. He had nothing. Salazar was still thinking about it, as he walked the garden path with his suitcase. He turned to look at his house one last time. The lights were all turned off. "Mother ... father .. I'm sorry!" he cried out desperately, and ran away, feeling the tears come again.
