they believe
Oh, no, it's much worse than that. It's what will actually happen. Skyrim contains the last of the towers, the Throat of the World. The adamantine tower, the white-gold tower, the Khajiit tower, all have fallen to the Thalmor or Martin Septim. The Throat of the World is the only thing standing between the Thalmor and the stopping of the wheel. Their goal is to go back to Padhome and Anu, back to the the time before time, "before" Akatosh existed, leaving the godhead with naught but chaos and order forever in perfect balance to dream about.
My favorite part about all that is that Paarthurnax is right--maybe this is the start of a new kalpa. Maybe the Dragonborn should just let Alduin destroy the world.
Nah. There's no guarantee destroying the towers would
undo the world, which is what they want. Destroy the world, sure, but regardless of how many pieces you break a glass bottle into it won't turn it back into sand again. Oh, and then there's still the Tsaesci, and possible towers in Akavir we don't know about.
Really, the only way for them to win was if Alduin actually ate the world again, then it really would start over.
Also the time of just P and A is too early for what they want. They wish to be gods again, not undo their godhood as well.
Oh, I just remembered something. The Aldmeri dominion is going to win. This isn't conjecture.
At least, as far as I understand this
I don't see how that means the elves won, seeming as everything in that story hinges on the world still existing.