Part 6/8:
Should Sauron have regained the Ring, the reality would be grim. Key heroes like Gandalf, Aragorn, and others would fall in battle against his might. Sauron would not just reclaim territory; his victory would lead to systematic destruction across Middle-earth, slaughtering those who resisted and enslaving those who submitted.
The tale would gravitate towards catastrophe, reminiscent of the First Age's tragedies where the balance of power often swayed towards darkness. Even if the Valar recognized Sauron’s resurgence and intervened, their history demonstrated an inability to prevent immense destruction; once a situation spirals out of control, their intervention might be too late.