headcanon o3. // near-death
In happier days before the Niflheim Empire invaded Tenebrae in M.E. 744, the Fleuret family celebrated Stella's 8th nameday with a trip to their private summerhouse by the remote Lake Serenus, located in the Tenebraen district of Pagla known for its deep yet tranquil, crystal blue waters. Little did the family know at the time that the malicious water daemon Rusalka had made its nest within the once-peaceful lake, dragging the unsuspecting young Stella into the watery abyss as she attempted to retrieve a lone sylleblossom floating on the water's calm surface to gift to her brother.
The then 16-year old Ravus Nox Fleuret heard his sister's desperate pleas for help and without hesitation, dove into the water to rescue her before the family guards were alerted of the crisis. Ravus' triumph over Rusalka however, came with a hefty price; he was dealt an injury to his eyes from his skirmish with the daemon, leaving him blinded for life.
Although Stella's life had been spared through Ravus' brave efforts, her body had slipped into a comatose state for many weeks. It is during this time that she found herself on the edge of existence, where she encountered a young boy whose soul had also been touched by death : Noctis who—on the same day as her accident—was gravely injured by the daemon Marilith in Lucis.
It is due to her near-death experience that Stella developed thalassophobia in her childhood which later improved as she grew older, though traveling to places abundant with water such as Altissia and Galdin Quay still bring her feelings of discomfort.
