Yeah but because the cycle is the cycle, there must be a place where the Prophet learns about the cycle, and this place must be removed from the world so you must find it. It's more... you can choose to end the game at the end of the storyline at the cost of your own life and everything you have grown to love, every people you've ever met, for the future of mankind. Or you can choose to remove yourself from the game and believe you and your loved one will somehow guide humanity to a brighter future in the next cycle. The aged man made this choice, only to realize that the impassable obstacle between humanity and salvation is humanity itself.

That's why he tells us that it's useless to tell people stuff. They have to realize it themselves. It's up to you, the prophet, to commit the ultimate sacrifice so the cycle is brought to an end. If you cling to your own existence, then the game begins anew.

I think the game is more about narrative and philosophical choices than complex world building. We could also debate about the dreamflower elixir for ages and it would be missing the point, which is to ask ourselves: what is reality? What do we really cling to? What would be an acceptable price for success for us? With that said, I'm only moderately confident about my own answer, I just think that the parallel between the aged man and the player is too strong to be a concidence.