Clock Town is probably one of those places that every Zelda player feels like they know inside and out. Majora’s Mask’s central hub conjures nostalgic memories for all who have visited it, even if they’ve never played through the full game. That song that you hear the moment you enter South Clock town is probably going through your head right now.
But here’s the thing about Clock Town: it’s full of secrets. Secret doors, secret passages, secret clubs and bars and meetings. You get the picture — there’s a hidden world beyond what we see here, and one of these secret areas is hidden right in plain sight. Each Dawn of the First Day sees you standing in front of a pair of massive double doors, which lead to the interior of the famous Clock Tower. The fact that time grinds to a complete stop inside this building is mysterious enough, but beyond a sealed door in the basement lies the strange passage that brought you from Hyrule to Termina.
From the Lost Woods, you make your way through the obstacle course that doubles as your tutorial, and navigate a long, twisting corridor that literally turns your world upside-down and transports you to another land. Maybe this is what comes to mind when asked how Link was brought to Clock Town. But you’re missing a crucial step in the journey: the room inside the Clock Tower itself.
Emerge from the warped passageway, and the dungeon door will close behind you, barring the way back. You find yourself in what is clearly a stone basement, the walls and floor slick with green moss. Giant cogs are scattered haphazardly, as though abandoned.
Take a few steps, and you’ll see the purpose of this subterranean room. A large mill wheel turns, powered by an underground river. At this point, it’s still unclear what the function of the wheel is, but soon it’ll be difficult to recall a time when you didn’t know.
As you proceed up a ramp, more of the mechanism reveals itself, though its ultimate purpose is still a mystery. You’ll notice that the stone room is mostly bare, and that you are apparently alone inside it. At the top, there’s a set of weathered stairs and a pair of large, wooden doors. The paint on them looks a little faded, neglected like the rest of the space here.
Just as you’re about to push the doors open and step outside, you’re surprised by a stranger behind you. But is he a stranger after all? The answer to that question depends on the life you lived — and the games you played — before.
Maybe it’s because of this interaction, and the iconic scene that follows, that we don’t stop and ask about this room inside the Clock Tower. Who maintains the mechanism? Is there a horologist in Termina that we never meet? And, perhaps more importantly, why is there a portal to another world hidden below?
Which came first: the Clock Tower, or the passageway?
Majora’s Mask doesn’t let us in on the answer to this query, but after investigating it numerous times, I’m now certain about one thing: it never changes in response to my actions within the world of Termina. So it can keep its secrets. Maybe it’s better to keep the mystery alive anyway.
