There are a few points we can work from. These are, of course, assuming that anything in the books is true unless proven otherwise. 1. The Creator and the Dark One are two opposite beings of equal power. 2. The Creator made the plan for the Great Pattern, the Wheel of Time which weaves it, and the One Power that drives it. 3. The Creator sealed the Dark One. He is not part of the Pattern, nor is the Creator. 4. The Pattern and the Wheel of Time is time itself. 5. The Pattern is an infinitely repeating cycle of seven ages. The details of the repeated ages aren't necessarily identical; but the overall events remain the same. 6. The Dark One cannot step outside of Time. Now, there is no physical reason why the Wheel of Time universe can't be cyclical. This is, of course, a fantasy universe. But, with an infinite history, if there were even the slightest chance that the Dark One could break free, it would have happened infinite times over. There can be three answers as to why the Dark One remains bound. 1. The Dark One <i>cannot</i> win. Why he still attempts to do so is irrelevant. 2. The Dark One <i>has</i> won, but winning does not end the cycle. 3. The Wheel of Time is actually finite. Every book: Chapter 1 "There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time." If we were to take that to be true, then obviously the Wheel has turned infinitely and will continue to turn infinitely. There are several reasons as to why the Dark One still tries to win, even if it were impossible. The three main ones are: He doesn't know of his flaw, he doesn't care whether he wins or not, or he has no choice. So, despite the inevitability and infinitude of failure, he goes on. However, if the Dark One <i>can</i> win, we can throw everything we've learned about the nature of this universe out the window. His stated goal is to break the Wheel, slay the Great Serpent, and destroy Time itself. If the Dark One were to achieve victory in the future, it would be logical to say that the present would be destroyed as well, because he is destroying time. Because Randland exists, that mere fact alone should be enough to disprove the end of the cycle. So, if the Dark One will not end the cycle if he breaks free, then we just fell back to square one. What will happen when the Dark One wins? Some have equated this struggle to a cosmic game, with the Pattern as the game board. The Dark One and the Creator are changing the board to their advantage and binding the other. If this were real life, I would have claimed that this as the answer. But logical as it is, I don't think Robert Jordan would go down this extremely unsatisfying path. So forget this. So now we only have one possibility left. The Dark One cannot escape. But why? Why can he not escape? Lord of Chaos: The First Message "RAVHIN DEAD IN HIS PRIDE. HE SERVED WELL, YET EVEN I CANNOT SAVE HIM FROM BALEFIRE. <b>EVEN I CANNOT STEP OUTSIDE OF TIME.</b>" Obviously the Dark One cannot step outside of time. But it has also been stated that the Wheel is time and the Dark One is outside of the Wheel. The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time: The Wheel and the Power "The Wheel, put in place by the Creator, <b>is time itself,</b> ever turning and returning." Both the Dark One and the Creator are outside of the Wheel, which is time itself. Even so the Dark One cannot step outside of time, even though he already is. That doesn't sound consistent. My answer is that the Dark One is trapped within time. The Pattern is his prison! Therefore, he is a servant of Time. He is one of those overall events that remain the same. He can escape; he never will.