Nina Mondragón had always been the kind of kid people looked past. Her patched-up jeans and mismatched socks made her stand out just enough to get laughed at, but not enough to be remembered. Most days, she liked it that way. Invisible was safe. Invisible meant no one asked questions about the hospital bracelets she still wore sometimes, or the way her teachers lowered their voices when they said her name.
At eleven years old, Nina already knew what it felt like to carry the weight of too many grown-up words: orphan, patient, survivor. But deep down, hidden under the freckles scattered across her nose, there was something else—a stubborn spark that refused to go our no matter how much life tried to snuff it.
She clutched the old messenger bag slung
across her shoulder, pins clinking together with every step. It wasn’t much, but it carried her treasures: scraps of stories she wrote on napkins, doodles of worlds that didn’t exist, and the smooth, odd-shaped amulet she’d found one rainy afternoon. Sometimes, when she held it too long, it felt warm—like it was waiting for her.
Of course, Nina didn’t believe in magic. Not yet.
Author’s Note:
Thank you so much for reading Nina’s story! She’s just the beginning of The Under Dogs, and every character you’ll meet has their own struggles, strengths, and dreams. 🌙✨ If you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a like or a comment — it means the world and helps me keep writing! Stay tuned for another Unique Characters chapter next. 💜
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