🕰️ Salem never sleeps! This Thursday, Days of Our Lives ignites a storm of secrets and shattered loyalties — as Stephanie and Alex uncover Titan’s buried “Project Phoenix,” Paulina’s celebration hides a criminal twist, and Susan Banks’ chilling vision warns: the phoenix is rising again. 🌩️🔥

There’s something electric in the air this Thursday in Days of Our Lives, a strange stillness before chaos — the kind only Salem can conjure. As dawn breaks, the entire town seems to hold its breath, unaware that beneath the quiet hum of daily life, an old monster is stirring.

Inside Titan Industries, sunlight cuts through the dusty windows like a blade. Stephanie Johnson and Alex Kiriakis have been tasked with clearing out old archives — a mundane job on the surface, but nothing in Salem stays simple for long. The two move through rows of forgotten files and rusted cabinets, the air thick with unspoken tension. Their shared past lingers in every glance, every silence that says too much.

Then it happens. A sealed envelope slips from a heavy box, landing face down on the cold concrete. Alex bends to pick it up and freezes. Project Phoenix. The name alone sends a chill through Stephanie’s spine. “That program was destroyed years ago,” she whispers, disbelief etched on her face. But curiosity wins. They tear it open — and what spills out feels like history repeating itself. Coded lab notes. Faded diagrams. Offshore payments labeled “confidential.” And at the bottom, a name that should’ve stayed buried: Dr. Wilhelm Rolf.

Before they can process what they’ve found, Alex catches a faint red light blinking on the far wall — a hidden camera, recording every move. Stephanie’s voice trembles. “We’re not alone.” The camera silently pivots as they flee the room, and somewhere in the shadows, someone watches… smiling. Because in Salem, once the Phoenix rises, no one escapes its fire.

Across town, City Hall bursts with color and laughter. Paulina Price is in full celebration mode, finalizing plans for Johnny and Chanel’s adoption party. Balloons, flowers, a guest list that includes half of Salem — she wants everything perfect. But perfection, as Salem knows too well, never lasts.

Roman Brady steps into her office, closing the door behind him. His face is tight, his tone grave. “You need to see this.” He slides a folder across her desk — inside, a police report and a string of suspicious bank transfers. Paulina’s eyes widen as she reads. The money trail leads straight to her campaign charity. “Are you saying I’ve been laundering money?” she asks, horrified.

Roman nods. “Unknowingly. But yes. The transfer came from a DiMera shell account.”

Suddenly, the party planning feels sinister. Streamers that once symbolized family and joy now hang like warning signs. Roman’s voice softens. “Be careful, Paulina. In Salem, joy is the best disguise for danger.” As he leaves, Paulina sits in silence, staring at the decorations around her office. The mayor’s pride fades into dread. If EJ DiMera’s involved, this isn’t just corruption — it’s a trap. And the Phoenix’s shadow just touched City Hall.

Meanwhile, at the Brady Pub, the afternoon light paints everything in shades of gold and memory. Javi Hernandez sits alone, staring at a photograph of baby Trey — the son he’ll never get to raise. When his sister Gabi arrives, her fiery energy softens. “You did the right thing,” she says quietly. “You gave him stability — the family we never had.”

Javi gives a bitter laugh. “If it’s right, why does it hurt so much?”

Gabi meets his eyes, the walls between them melting. “Because love doesn’t stop when you let go. It just… finds somewhere else to live.” For the first time in a long time, the Hernandez siblings sit in silence, hands joined across the table. But just outside the window, a shadow lingers — someone watching. In Salem, even grief has an audience.

As night falls, rain lashes the windows of the DiMera mansion. Inside, EJ sits by the fire, bourbon in hand, watching a video on his phone — Johnny and Chanel’s joyous celebration with baby Trey. Laughter, love, the family he’s been forbidden to touch. The promise he made to Dr. Amy Choi still echoes: “Stay out of your grandson’s life.”

A soft knock breaks the silence. Gwen von Leuschner enters, calm and gentle. “You don’t have to pretend, EJ,” she says softly. “You’re grieving what you can’t fix, not what you lost.”

Her words pierce him. For a moment, the mask slips, and two broken souls find rare honesty. But Salem offers no peace. When Gwen leaves, EJ’s phone buzzes again. A secure message flashes across the screen: “Phase Two ready. Awaiting your authorization, Dr. Rolf.”

The fire flickers across his face as he whispers, “Maybe this time, I can control it.” But we know better — the Phoenix doesn’t obey. It consumes.

Across Salem, thunder shakes the Carver home. Theo stands by the window, pale and trembling, while his father Abe watches with concern. “What’s wrong, son?” Abe asks.

Theo turns slowly. “Dad… I saw Susan Banks tonight. At the cemetery.”

Abe frowns. “Susan? She’s been quiet since her release.”

Theo shakes his head. “Not tonight. She was talking to someone — someone who wasn’t there. She kept saying, ‘We have to save the boy before it’s too late.’ And then she looked straight at me, like she was seeing through me.”

A cold shiver runs down Abe’s spine. Susan’s visions once foretold Salem’s darkest tragedies — and she’d never been wrong. “What boy?” he asks quietly.

Theo hesitates. “She didn’t say a name. But… I think she meant Trey.”

Thunder cracks outside. The wind howls. Abe’s eyes widen in fear. If Susan’s visions are back, so is the danger that follows them.

Outside, lightning flashes — and there she is, Susan Banks, standing alone in the rain, whispering to the heavens. Her voice carries through the storm, half prayer, half warning: “The Phoenix is rising again.”

And with those words, Salem’s fragile calm shatters. The legacy that once burned the town to ashes threatens to return — and this time, it’s more powerful than ever.

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This Thursday’s Days of Our Lives isn’t just another day in Salem — it’s a reckoning. Stephanie and Alex’s discovery of Project Phoenix reignites a past the DiMeras swore was dead. Paulina’s celebration becomes a smokescreen for corruption. EJ teeters between redemption and ruin. And Susan’s haunting prophecy sets the stage for the next inferno.

Who’s really behind Project Phoenix’s rebirth? Has someone outmaneuvered EJ himself — or is the DiMera empire once again about to rise, unstoppable and aflame?

One thing’s certain: Salem won’t sleep tonight. Because in Days of Our Lives, secrets don’t stay buried. They resurrect — every single time. 🔥

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