The thing is, I think we've already discovered it. It's just that we discovered it by playing the game and realizing that resting didn't advance the tadpole. If the fact that we're not truly on a timer was meant to be a secret, then the game would probably be structured differently. This opening area wouldn't have so much STUFF to do, stuff that you'd need to rest repeatedly for. And companion scenes wouldn't be tied to long rests.
