Brad Regis was not having a good time. The second semester of his junior year was supposed to be the last big hurdle, but the weight was crushing him so much he couldn't even begin to think of getting off the ground. It was all due to just one class: nuclear reactor physics. The workload for this single class was equivalent to a full time job by itself, and he had four other classes besides.
Alex Kagan was the leader of his recitation session and the professor was one of those types who cared way more about research than teaching undergraduates, so it was basically Alex's class. Brad really had the worst luck.
Alex was cold and ignored Brad for the most part, especially after the disaster date with Julie that he heard about from Reka. The only emotion that Alex ever showed was a kind of sadistic glee in his eyes when he dumped problem set after problem set on the poor students, sometimes two a week just to be extra cruel.
"This will be due on Monday," Alex announced on Friday. Was he serious? The midterm was next Wednesday. So he was supposed to spend his whole weekend on this problem set and have just two days to study for midterms? How was this allowed?
Brad glanced to his left and right. The students looked worse off than he was: haggard, beaten down, thousand yard stare. A few of them were visibly on the verge of a panic attack. Counting his blessings, Brad realizes they didn't have their own Reka.
This was not the nuclear engineering major of a few years ago. After the collapse of software engineering hiring with the rise of AI, nuclear engineering was one of the few majors that could offer decent employment prospects and starting salaries. Nuclear reactor physics was a junior level core class, and Brad knew that there were one hundred and fifty something students in this lecture hall right now. A few years ago that number was closer to thirty. The department just wasn't equipped to handle this kind of influx. Professors were overworked; grad students were stretched thin, and the business of undergraduate teaching had to compete with Stardust City activities that paid serious money.
His sweet girlfriend did what she could, making time to study with him and look over his problem sets before he turned them in. Even she was shocked at the workload, muttering something he never quite caught every time he came home with more work. And yes, it was home to him now.
Reka and Brad had been together for a year, and living together for most of that time. When he explained to her what an anniversary was back in February, she thoughtfully proposed that they delay the celebrations until spring break.
Spring break seems so far away, he thought, grinding on his homework after class. The subject matter was more abstract than what he was used to, but still involved lots of tedious calculations where just one uncaught mistake could set you back on hours of work. Worse, Reka was busy today with her own class, so he was all alone. He worked in silence until late into the night. Mercifully, Reka only required a quickie from him before they went to bed.
Reka did everything to prepare him for the test, including giving him some kind of scalp massage while muttering words in what he assumed was Hungarian into his ear. For some reason it really cleared his mind, made him think faster, like his brain was suddenly a well-oiled machine rather than rundown old hunk of junk.
Brad felt like he crushed the midterm and was looking forward to seeing his grade. He worked hard. He deserved this. Having all of this behind him would really make his anniversary celebration with Reka.
Midterm scores were posted the day before classes let out for spring back.
Let's see, let's see, exam number 72, Regis, Brad...
Score: 55%
Brad's soul dropped into his shoes.
What? How? I studied so hard! I did everything! There wasn't a single problem I didn't understand!
The class went into an uproar when Alex announced there would be no curve.
"That's right, no curve!" he confirmed, sounding triumphant while everyone groaned. "You'll just have to make up for it on the final if you want to have any hope of passing this class. The midterm and final are forty percent of your grade, each. Remember, problem sets are only ten percent of your grade."
Then why assign so many, asshole?
Brad didn't hear anything after that. How could he face Reka now after all she did for him? He failed her. He was going to fail this class. He was going to fail out of school. He was going to be one of the unlucky ones that got weeded out. Nuclear reactor physics was a prerequisite for senior design and every advanced elective.
What was he going to do, just live with Reka and wait to retake the class next year? He couldn't imagine how one more year would help. Brad had already worked the hardest he'd ever worked in his entire life. It wasn't enough. He wasn't enough. He didn't deserve to be here.
Tears were falling now. He couldn't bear for Reka to seem him like this. With burning shame, he remembered Reka's anniversary present in his pocket. He didn't deserve her either.
He ran. He had to get away, had to get alone.
******************
Reka's Point of View
Reka was waiting to collect Brad after his final class let out. They'd rented a beach house on the coast to celebrate their anniversary.
What a charming concept, she thought. This world really had all manner of holidays and celebrations to cast the mundane passage of time in a special light.
For a time, she amused herself by imagining all the countless anniversaries she and Brad would celebrate. When she ruled, all would celebrate. Brad would receive the most marvelous gifts from all the princes of this world, and the common men would look on in awe to see one of their own rise so high.
With a bit of regret, Reka reflected on her past life as the Demon Queen. If only I had taken a man as my consort, she pondered.
If she had done so and showed her subjects that she could love as they did then they might not have ever rebelled. Even in the height of her splendor the Demon Queen was but little loved. If she showed a kinder hand...if she had the love of a man to temper her...if.
No, that's not a productive line of thought. She had "fumbled" her first life, as Brad liked to say, and it was borderline disloyal to imagine a world where she was joined to any other man but him. Somewhat ashamed, her mind returned to the present and she reached out with her senses.
Brad should've been here by now.
Reka was not used to feeling fear and all manner of worries assailed her mind at once.
Had something happened to her boyfriend? Was he hurt? Lost? Had his test gone poorly? No, that was impossible. Reka had accelerated his mind with magic and personally supervised his imbibing of all the required knowledge. There was something irregular here, and with a hint of trepidation Reka already began to suspect the warlock's hand in this.
I warned you, Alex.
Unbidden, Reka's inner magic leaked into her form. Her nails elongated into claws; her teeth filed down to sharpened points. Unless they inspected closely, an ordinary observer would not find ought amiss, but her body was preparing itself for violence. Her heightened senses caught a faint impression of something distant.
Brad was in pain.
At once she took off at a run, swiftly parting the crowd of milling students.
Where is he? Where is he?
At last she senses him strongly. Brad was in a public washroom, crying softly, clutching a hand to his chest.
Reka wanted to hurt. Reka wanted to kill! How dare they? HOW DARE THEY!
She burst through the door and gripped her boyfriend's shoulders firmly, feeling half mad from sympathetic suffering she received through their bond.
"Who did this to you, my love?" she demanded harshly. "Was it the warlock? Who did this? Who did this?"
Brad recoiled in fear and Reka felt instant guilt. "I'm not mad at you, my love, not you, never you," she said softly, retracting her claws lest she wound him accidentally.
Her boyfriend only cried all the harder so she clutched him to the large breasts he admired so often and held him for a time. Eventually his tears stopped flowing.
"I failed," he said despondently into her chest.
"There's been a mistake," she said with certainty. "You couldn't have failed. I tested you with everything that should've been on the midterm myself. You demonstrated a strong command of the information."
Brad breathed a little easier. "I know," he agreed. "I felt really strongly about my performance; that's why I was so shocked when I got my score: fifty five percent."
Such a score was quite impossible with the mind magic she'd been enhancing him with. Gradually, a picture came to Reka. Alex had been tormenting the class with extra needless homework and had been tampering with grades, some petty revenge for whatever he failed to gain from her and Julie.
An icy calm infused her being. Reka knew what she must do, but first she would see to Brad's comfort. Her duty as his girlfriend superseded all others.
As she held him in her arms she noticed he was still clutching something to his chest. "What is that?" she asked.
Brad looked away like he was ashamed. "N-nothing."
Reka held his chin and made him look at her in the eye. "Tell me," she commanded gently but firmly.
Her love stilled and for a moment she feared he might refuse her, but no, he was working up the courage.
"Your anniversary present," he said in a small voice.
He held out his hand and revealed a small box. She accepted it reverently and opened the lid.
She found within a heart-shaped locket hanging on a golden chain.
"The heart opens," Brad told her, "see here."
The sight took her breath away. Inside the heart was a portrait of them together, in their finest apparel, on the night they visited the rat restaurant.
Her rage abated like the tide, replaced with the tenderest feelings. How could this wonderful man ever suppose he was unworthy of her?
Reka embraced him, tears of her own stinging her eyes. "It's perfect," she choked out, unable to say more.
Her tears renewed Brad's own. "I'm so sorry, Reka!" he said in agony. "I failed you. I feel like such an imposter."
She squeezed him tighter. Never.
Reka's mind was working speedily now. Strictly speaking, her boyfriend didn't need to finish his degree. She had no plans for him to work any job in the future that might remove him from her presence, but her love wanted the degree, wanted it desperately, and by the void, he would have it. She would never deny him anything. Reka didn't care if she had to use mind control and alter his grades manually, but there should be no need for that. Alex had hoodwinked them, and Alex would be pay.
The locket was more perfect than Brad would ever know. It was the ideal focus. Her magic box was ready and this would be her first real dabbling in strong, permanent magic. Reka would transcend the limits of her form and punish the loathsome warlock as he always deserved. All that remained was to accumulate the necessary power, and spring break was here. She would spend their anniversary holiday draining Brad thoroughly, storing his seed for when the time was right.
"Worry not, my love," Reka consoled him. "I'll take care of you. I'll take care of everything."