Salem is no stranger to mystery and heartache, but the latest turn of events surrounding Marina Evans has the town rattled to its core. In a stunning collapse in Dr. Kayla Brady’s office, Marina’s physical symptoms reveal something far deeper than a medical crisis—something that reaches into the chilling legacy of Stefano DiMera himself.

As whispers of Marina’s condition ripple through University Hospital, tension mounts. Viewers are drawn in from the moment Marina stumbles into Kayla’s office, clearly unwell, and begs for a moment to talk. With eyes brimming with confusion and dread, she confides in her longtime friend and trusted doctor about the strange sensations haunting her body and mind—disorientation, phantom memories, and overwhelming fatigue. Kayla’s concern is immediate. She’s seen patients with psychosomatic symptoms before, but this feels different. The way Marina speaks of vivid dreams, long-forgotten memories, and a heaviness she can’t shake suggests something darker—something perhaps not of this world.

As Marina describes the weight pressing on her chest and the persistent feeling of being watched, Kayla remains calm but alarmed. She gently insists on running tests, but Marina resists. She believes it’s simply the stress of recent family dramas and work demands. But Kayla knows better. She’s been in Salem long enough to recognize the signs of supernatural interference—and she suspects that Marina’s symptoms may be linked to something far more insidious.

Enter Dr. Sarah Horton, whose dedication to uncovering the truth pushes her to dive deep into Marina’s symptoms. She orders brain scans, neurological panels, and blood work. But none of the results explain the vivid dreams Marina keeps having—dreams that feel more like memories than fiction. In these haunting sequences, Marina sees herself wandering the halls of the DiMera mansion, dressed in regal black velvet, hearing Stefano’s voice echo through the corridors.

These dreamscapes are rich with symbolism—chess pieces, flickering candelabras, and whispered threats from the shadows. Marina’s time as Stefano’s queen, a pawn in his manipulative game, begins to resurface with terrifying clarity. She wakes up in a cold sweat, her heart pounding with the certainty that Stefano’s grip on her psyche may never have truly ended.

Sarah, meanwhile, is disturbed. The tests reveal nothing physically alarming, yet Marina’s psychological state is deteriorating. In quiet conversations with Kayla and Belle, Sarah confesses her fear that they’re dealing with something “unquantifiable”—possibly connected to Salem’s dark, supernatural history. She even questions whether Marina might be suffering from repressed trauma… or psychic intrusion from Stefano’s long-dead but ever-lurking spirit.

Just as the mystery deepens, an unexpected figure arrives in town—Susan Banks. Known for her eccentricity and supernatural sensitivity, Susan brings a unique brand of chaotic intuition to Salem’s strangest stories. Upon seeing Marina, Susan is immediately unsettled. Her psychic instincts flare up, and she insists that something is “off” about Marina’s aura. The hug between them lingers too long, and Susan recoils slightly, whispering warnings of “dark energy” and “spirits with unfinished business.”

Susan, always theatrical, brings out her tarot cards, muttering cryptic messages about old alliances, betrayal, and a legacy that refuses to stay buried. She urges Marina to be cautious. “You’re not alone in your mind,” Susan warns. “He’s trying to return… through you.”

Marina is shaken but unwilling to give in to fear. As a trained psychiatrist, she wants to believe there’s a rational explanation. But the dreams, the feelings, and now Susan’s strange warning all seem to point in one terrifying direction: Stefano DiMera’s influence has somehow returned.

Back at the hospital, the news of Marina’s collapse spreads quickly. Brady Black and his daughter Rachel arrive, their concern etched on their faces. Belle is there, doing her best to reassure everyone that Marina is fine, but deep down, she’s struggling to maintain calm. Her legal background makes her crave logic—but nothing about Marina’s condition feels logical.

Marina herself remains outwardly composed but emotionally frayed. She tells Belle she’s fine, but Belle isn’t buying it. She’s noticed subtle changes—hesitation in Marina’s voice, flickers of confusion, and long pauses as if she’s not fully present. When Belle gently asks how she’s handling Jon’s death, Marina deflects, insisting that everyone grieves in their own way. But Belle knows there’s more. The loss of Jon, the stress of daily life, and now these haunting dreams—it’s a recipe for psychological collapse, or perhaps something worse.

As the women talk, the hospital environment is pierced by more tragic news. Brady and Rachel return from the gift shop bearing a present for Tate’s newborn child—only to discover the baby did not survive. The juxtaposition of childlike hope and sudden grief adds another emotional layer to the day. Rachel’s innocent suggestion of the name “McKenzie” for the baby stuns Sarah into tears. Could this name trigger a memory buried in Sarah’s subconscious—or is it another piece of the larger, unspoken puzzle binding everyone in Salem?

The day ends in Marina’s home, where Belle, trying to distract her mother from medical concerns, asks about EJ and his therapeutic progress. The conversation dances around trauma and memory loss—ironically echoing Marina’s own struggles. Then, in a moment of eerie timing, Susan shows up again, insisting she felt something unusual at Marina’s home. She places her hand on Marina’s arm, freezing mid-sentence. “There’s a presence here,” she says. “One that doesn’t belong.”

Susan’s cryptic words confirm everyone’s worst fears. Is Stefano’s spirit reaching across dimensions, seeking to reclaim Marina as his vessel? Could this be the start of a new chapter in the DiMera saga—one where the past refuses to stay dead?

As Marina gazes into the distance, the shadows in her eyes deepen. She no longer knows what’s real or imagined, and neither do we. With science running out of answers and dreams revealing buried horrors, Marina must confront the chilling possibility that Stefano’s legacy lives on—inside her.

🔮 Stay tuned to Days of Our Lives for the next unraveling chapter. Will Kayla and Sarah find a cure—or will Marina be the next soul consumed by Salem’s darkest legend? 🔥