Nikē: goddess of victory in Greek mythology.
Nicole Vinciguerra did not have a particular dream. A girl with no passions and no idols, left alone to wander in a playground with many rides to choose from.
An empty girl whom only one thing could fill...
The chapter has already been written, I'm simply polishing it now.
There are roughly five chapters left before the official end of this book, and honestly, being this close to finishing a story that started three years ago makes me almost hesitant to give it an ending.
I care deeply about Nicole Vinciguerra as a character.
I put so much of myself into writing this fanfiction. I've laughed with her, felt her pain, her confidence, her discomfort, and her loneliness despite always being surrounded by people. Writing her has brought me an immense sense of peace, even during the many times I had to stop and sit with my thoughts after writing particularly painful chapters. Through them, I hope I managed to convey at least some of the things I've thought about and still think about today.
Writing about physical abuse in the way I did, something that is often heavily romanticized in black romance (which I enjoy too, don't get me wrong), was a real challenge for both me and my writing style. I apologize if any of those scenes triggered some of you readers, whose lives and past experiences I unfortunately do not know. At the same time, I hope they created enough discomfort to highlight how easily these topics can sometimes be underestimated in fanfiction.
We live in such a digitalized world that, in my opinion, we occasionally lose a little empathy when reading about certain events.
Seeing so many people love Nicole, hate her, root for her, pity her, or be frustrated by her brings me immense joy.
Because to me, writing means evoking strong emotions. Knowing that I succeeded, even just a little, makes me incredibly happy.
You brought back my love for writing every single time I hit a creative block, and for that I sincerely thank you.
And your comments.
I've read every single one of them.
From the jokes to the deepest reflections. From those who wrote in English to those who wrote in their own language. From the people who loved the story to those who criticized it.
Interacting with you has brightened lonely days, kept me active, and challenged me intellectually.
Having an audience from different parts of the world, different age groups, with different interests and perspectives, has helped tremendously in writing this story and in understanding Nicole as a character.
In honor of the end of Nicklaus Vinciguerra's journey -because, in the end, Nicklaus was simply a mask Nicole wore during a period of her life when she didn't have to answer to her fame, her identity, or her past- I wanted to leave you with one final image of Nicole and Nicklaus together.
And no, don't worry.
The story doesn't end here.
There are still about five (more or less, you never know) chapters left before the official conclusion.
From this point forward, we will no longer be witnessing the rise of Nike.
We will be witnessing what remains after her victory.
The death of Blue Lock. The people Nicole left behind. The consequences of winning absolutely over who at the were just normal people with dreams.
And perhaps the most important question of all:
Will Nicole Vinciguerra ever become another one of Nike's victims?
We'll see.
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Give me a week or so to finish my exams and this summer I'll try finishing this book.
