test of time // keiji x reader

Chapter 1

First Person View - (Y/N)
* Note - The MC seems groggy and out of it due to the trauma of the events that happened in the Prologue, hence why everything seems to be going by so fast. They aren't completely tuned in on everything going on, which is why they miss the introductions. For the sake of convenience, however, I'll still be referring to the characters as their names to provide more understanding to anybody reading. Thank you, and enjoy Chapter 1!
I groggily woke up on a mat, feeling dizzy and out of it. My vision was blurred, and I could barely see a thing.. closing my eyes again, all of my thoughts and fears disappeared, replaced with my exhaustion.. I was just about to succumb to sleep, and that was when I heard someone's voice speaking to me. It was a man's voice, a man who sounded about my age.. unable to open my eyes, I just listened.
"Hey, wake up. We're all waiting for you."
All? Who's 'all'?.. Is this just a strange dream?
The same voice spoke again. "Let them sleep, then.. I guess we're all pretty shocked about what happened." I heard footsteps walking away on a hard floor, and I curled in on myself, yawning and repressing a groan. Slowly, the events of yesterday began to trickle in.
I was sitting in my dorm alone, because my roommates all had exams.. I heard a strange noise, and went to investigate, and...
Suddenly, everything came flooding back, like the memories were water and my brain was a dam that had just broken.. crashing, and roaring inside of my head..
And through all of the chaos was his face.
Jou Tazuna's.
My eyes snapped open and I shot up, my lungs ceasing to work. My hand flew up to my mouth, and those same hot, acidic tears that I had cried during the trial were beginning to well up again. My body began to shake in violent tremors as I recalled his face, his voice, his smile, his trust in me even though we'd only just met. My throat gave out a strangled noise, and all of the strangers crowded around turned to me, shock and alarm painted on their expressions. All I could do was sob.
"I know you'll figure out something, (Y/N)!"
And I did. But much too late.
What I didn't notice in all of the chaos was that a muscular blonde had made his way towards me, furrowing his eyebrows in concern. I felt his hand on my shoulder, and suddenly, a wave of calm washed over me. Our eyes met, and I knew that he was the source of the voice I'd heard addressing me earlier. He didn't say anything.. he didn't ask me why I was crying. He was just.. there. And that's all I could've asked for.
After a few minutes of just sitting like that, the shakiness subsided, and the last of the tears fell. He helped me up, and I nodded gratefully at him, and we made our way back to the rest of the group. The crowd of people formed around him once more, and I took the time to tune them out and focus on my surroundings. We were in a bright blue room, with many doors leading to the unknown around us. My eyes scanned the people there, and I was able to separate two groups of people based on what I saw. Calm, and agitated.. there were people yelling and panicking, and people trying to rationalize the situation.. but all that mattered was that we were all there, all stuck in this same dire situation..
And for some reason, I knew we'd all seen things, too..
A small girl cowered in the corner, her green hair in front of her face. She was shaking just as badly as I had been, but I suppressed the urge to speak to her, for the blonde had raised his voice.
"How about we all start by introducing ourselves?"
His eyes locked with mine, and I felt my heart speed up. Was he suspicious of me?
"Don't you agree?" is what he said, casually yet warmly at the same time.
"..."
I nodded.
"Yes.. yes, that's a good idea. We should all introduce ourselves and try to make sense of our situation.. I guess I'll start. My name.. is (Y/N), and I'm a college student.. I heard strange noises, and so I went to investigate them.." I trailed off, looking down at my shoes. Sighing, I rubbed the back of my neck.. and that was when the blonde piped up and began to introduce himself.
"My name is Keiji Shinogi. I'm a policeman.."
...and that's all I was able to hear of the introductions, for I'd gotten lost in his eyes with no escape..
... until I heard a high pitched scream, and a quiet thud. The shaky girl from earlier.. Kanna Kizuchi, had fainted, her face blue. "A-ah!" A messy pink-haired girl (Nao) screeched, rushing to the middle-schooler's side, and all I could do was stare as the events folded out before me.
Finding my way to Keiji, who seemed the most informed, I quietly asked him what had happened.. and he had responded that her sister had died in the first trial. Panic stricken, I gasped, remembering the events of my own first trial.. that had happened to somebody's.. sister..? I was so affected by a stranger's death, while this girl had watched her sister die before her..? "Oh.." I mumbled softly, and he gave me a knowing glance before turning away. The group's focus was now on a golden box, and I made my way towards it. The box had three keyholes, and it was big enough to fit a watermelon.
Nao had already offered up her key, one that was visibly whittled down.. and they had retrieved the second key from the skirt pocket of the small girl, but they all seemed at a loss for what to do..
.. until I offered my key.
"Ah. Thank you, (Y/N).." Keiji gave me a nod, and for some reason, I felt my heart swell. "Everybody step back. It could be dangerous.. so let your Friendly Policeman handle it."
Sticking my key in the final hole, I turned it, hearing a click as the box opened. Lifting the lid, Keiji immediately shut it. "You.. might not want to see what's in there."
But I had already caught a glimpse of it.
A person's head.
A scream rose in my throat, threatening to come out, but luckily, someone had tuned in.
"Hey, isn't that just a doll?"
Relief filled the room, and the yelling turned into small murmurs as everybody settled down. There was a note tucked in the bottom of the box, talking about putting a doll back together.. and before I knew it, everyone was splitting into groups, and I was alone.
Until he came up to me.
Keiji Shinogi, the friendly policeman.
"Would you like to explore with me?"