rereading tid rn and really the tragedy of that series is never the romance, it's always will and jem. because while yes obviously the epilogue of clockwork princess with will's death will always be devastating, tessa did get to live out a full human lifetime with him, and got the second chance to be with jem for a lifetime as well at the end of cohf (unless something happens in twp which if so ooooooh you are never hearing the end of it from me). but will and jem never got that with each other. they spent all but five years of will's life with jem being a shadow of his former self, barely a person anymore, and those five years they did have were overtaken by jem dying and will thinking he was cursed, leaving him guilt-ridden for letting jem love him. and then when jem finally gets to be a real person again, it's too late. will is already gone. they never got to be with each other with both of them happy and healthy. GOD its just so devastating.
