Maybe it's "Authored" vs. "Emergent"

[KorvinStarmast]

Yes. If you're going to use time pressure, you need to actually be keeping track of time, which very few GMs seem to want to do anymore. Keeping track of the passage of time was an important point of advice in 1e DMG from Gygax.
You need to track the days, the hours, that pass in-game. Decide when the ritual will happen on the in-world calendar, give the players sufficient warning, so if they hustle and sacrifice they can get there early enough to prevent it.

I have to keep track of time, since my players have a horn of valhalla which recharges every seven days.
I also modified Daern's fortress to recharge every seven days but it heals 5 HP of damage per day (so you don't need a wish to heal damage...)