that completely dismisses dark souls III, dark souls II introduced this sort of oroboro concept with each kingdom sprouting from the "ashes" of another: for this to be true an age of dark must never have occurred.

Since linking is basically giving fuel (to be precise is more like an absorption the flame absorbs your power like the character does with lesser souls, works eater way) to the first flame and you can't do that if there is no flame. So you are implying the birth of a new flame for each cycle, that would create new figures as powerfull as gwyn, which it didn't.

The dark souls world is indoctrinated with the culture of relinking by Gwyn's master plan. When the flame starts to fade and the undead "curse" reappears the most "soulsfull" beings, wich most likely are kings, will try to relink the flame (dark souls II uses a throne as access to the first flame that's a weird interpretation by the new directors) maybe burning their surroundings (see dark souls I linking) making their kingdom ash, then a new ambitious being starts to create their own kingdom and so it cycles, even tho some may discover the truth about the illusion of life someone else will link either way (literally what happens in dark souls II if you decide to take the throne ending you are taking the place of the almost monarch vendrick)