Love may have ruled Valentine’s Day in Days of Our Lives, but the week that follows promises something far more volatile: reunions, reckonings, and the chilling suggestion

that a DiMera legacy can never truly be buried. Salem is bracing for emotional whiplash as old villains cast long shadows, families fracture, and two unlikely heroes prepare to gamble everything for freedom.

At the center of the storm are returning favorites, shocking departures, and a symbol that could change the balance of power in the mansion forever.

Because when Stefano DiMera reaches from beyond the grave, history has taught this town one thing—duck.

A Wedding, A Funeral, A Resurrection?

The previous week detonated at both ends of the emotional spectrum. While Alex and Stephanie’s impulsive romance turned into a very real trip down the aisle, the DiMeras gathered in the crypt to say goodbye to their patriarch once again.

But in true Salem fashion, farewell quickly morphed into foreboding.

Left alone among the tombs, EJ received a visit from the ever-mysterious Rolf, who delivered a final directive from Stefano: a ring. Not just jewelry, but a relic heavy with implication. Power. Authority. Continuation.

By midweek, those closest to EJ sensed a shift. His posture changed. His confidence sharpened. And when Susan arrived, maternal intuition flaring, she swore she felt Stefano’s presence alive inside her son.

Whether psychological inheritance or something far stranger, the message landed: Stefano lives on.

Eli’s Joyful Homecoming

Against that gothic backdrop comes a burst of hope. Eli’s return to the Salem PD as Rafe’s partner already signaled stability, but his announcement that he and Lani are moving home turned relief into celebration.

For Julie, the news was everything. After years of heartbreak and distance, the promise of family under the same skyline again felt like grace.

Yet even this happiness carries risk. Salem has a habit of testing reunions the moment they occur. And with danger brewing on multiple fronts, Eli may be coming back just in time to walk into the fire.

Dimitri’s Fight for Freedom

Speaking of flames, Dimitri’s legal nightmare intensified when Rafe slapped cuffs on him in a moment that left half the town stunned and the other half grimly satisfied.

The accusation: involvement in the DiMera kidnappings.

The problem? Dimitri swears he’s being set up.

Leo refuses to entertain any alternative. His Valentine’s Day confession to Marlena made it crystal clear—he loves Dimitri, and he believes in him. Now belief is evolving into action.

Next week, the duo stops reacting and starts plotting. By Thursday they are setting a plan into motion, and by Friday they’ve taken that plan international, arriving in Alamain territory to confront enemies on their own soil.

The welcome will be icy. Potentially deadly.

But for Leo, danger beats helplessness any day.

Chad’s Goodbye

While some are running toward confrontation, Chad is retreating from it. Encouraged to remove his children from Salem’s constant crossfire, he makes the painful decision to leave town for an extended stay with Will and Sonny.

His exits are never simple. They carry grief, unfinished feelings, and in this case, the ghost of a future that might have been. Cat, left behind, can’t quite separate fantasy from reality, imagining a farewell kiss that speaks volumes about what she wishes had happened.

Salem loses one of its moral centers, and the vacuum will be felt immediately.

Kristen Makes Her Move

Kristen rarely waits for permission to rewrite the rules, and taking Rachel out of Bayview proves she hasn’t mellowed. Brady is furious, terrified, torn between protecting his daughter and managing the woman who will always upend his life.

A fragile compromise emerges: shared custody, boundaries, proximity.

But Kristen living close to Brady and his new romantic complications? That’s not a truce. That’s a ticking device.

Brady’s Heart Divided

Because try as he might to keep emotions orderly, Brady’s feelings for Sarah are intensifying. Their near-misses, almost-kisses, and stolen glances are becoming harder to deny.

Xander, however, remains a factor. His unresolved love for Sarah simmers just beneath the surface, and every moment she shares with Brady threatens to bring it to a boil.

By week’s end, multiple hearts may be cracked open.

Gwen’s Web Tightens

Never underestimate Gwen when she’s quiet. She’s advising Xander, aligning with Kristen, and maneuvering pieces around EJ, who is already under the spell of that ominous ring.

Her target remains Dimitri, but collateral damage in Salem is practically tradition.

Anniversary Light in the Darkness

Amid the chaos, Steve and Kayla pause to celebrate enduring love. Their anniversary offers viewers a breath, a reminder that survival is possible here.

But even legends can’t hold back the tide forever.

Toward the Unknown

By Friday, the canvas looks dramatically different. Leo and Dimitri are abroad, Ivan is stirring, EJ is questioning loyalties, and Rafe prepares to drop news that could rearrange Gabi’s world.

Salem stands between past and future, between inheritance and reinvention.

And somewhere in the echo of crypt doors closing, one truth lingers like a threat:

The DiMera story is far from over.