Days of our Lives Summer Spoilers: Stephanie SHOOTS Baby & Kristen KILLED?! | Soap Dirt

The storm clouds are gathering over Salem, and this time, they’re bringing something far more terrifying than rain. As summer descends upon the troubled town, four souls stand at death’s doorstep — and not everyone is going to make it out alive.

Let’s start with the biggest bombshell: EJ DiMera has made up his mind. He’s walking the path his father Stefano laid out before him, hell-bent on preserving the criminal empire his father built with blood and manipulation. But Lexi Carver sees something different — she believes the DiMera name could actually mean something better. She dares to hope for redemption. Susan Banks, meanwhile, wants no part of this. She confronts EJ directly, her voice sharp with warning: he is not Stefano, and she will not stand by and watch him transform into the monster his father was.

Then the real terror begins.

Lexi starts showing symptoms. Frightening symptoms. This very week, the first ominous signs appear — subtle at first, but unmistakable to those watching closely. Mark discovers the dead rat, the one that took the same mysterious serum. And later in the week, Dr. Rolf delivers the grim news to EJ about what happened to that rat. The implication is clear — and devastating.

When Lexi finally understands what’s happening to her body, she unleashes a torrent of fury at her brother. How could he never stop to think what this would do to her? How could he be so blind? Driven by desperation, Lexi begins receiving secret treatments from Rolf in the dark tunnels beneath Salem — we see her emerging from a hidden entrance, confirming she’s gone underground, literally and figuratively.

Kristen catches wind of the secrecy and tells Lexi she doesn’t have to hide. But Lexi isn’t having it. She fires back that she wouldn’t have walked through the living room if she were trying to stay hidden — a razor-sharp reminder that she moves through this world with defiance, not shame.

EJ, meanwhile, is on a rampage. He fires Sarah, telling her bluntly that her help isn’t needed. The question hangs in the air: is this about Chanel, or is this about Lexi? Given that Rolf is now tending to EJ’s sister in those claustrophobic tunnels, the answer may be far darker than anyone expects.

The emotional devastation deepens. We see Lexi collapsing into Theo’s arms, tears streaming down her face. Then she’s rushed back to the hospital, her condition worsening by the hour. Abe and Theo stand vigil at her bedside, their faces carved with grief and exhaustion. And when EJ walks into that hospital room, Abe explodes, screaming at him to get the hell out — making it painfully clear that he blames EJ for every moment of Lexi’s suffering. They are gathered at what could very well be her deathbed. For the second time.

History may be about to repeat itself in the cruelest way possible. We could be watching Lexi die in Abe’s arms all over again.

But Lexi isn’t the only one whose life hangs in the balance. Two names on the death list are Chris and Alexi — and even more unthinkable, two babies are reportedly on that same list. It’s the kind of tragedy that makes even the most hardened Salem viewers gasp.

And then there’s Kristen.

She’s in deep trouble — the deepest. EJ uncovers her secret alliance with Sophia, and when he confronts his sister, the fury is volcanic. He screams in her face about her plotting to murder his son. The accusation hangs in the air like poison.

Then comes the kidnapping. In a flash, Kristen is grabbed from behind by shadowy henchmen — and there’s no question who sent them. EJ has made his move. And given that Stacy Haid has wrapped her run as Kristen and moved on to Y&R, the writing may already be on the wall for the DiMera wildcard.

Dimmitri is back in town, stirring trouble. And Sarah delivers a line that cuts deep: “I love you, but not to Xander.” It’s a confession wrapped in rejection, the kind of emotional grenade that will leave scars long after the words fade.

Salem is heading into its most brutal summer yet. The promo may have been choppy and out of order — but we’ve pieced it all together. And the picture it paints is one of betrayal, illness, revenge, and loss. Four possible deaths. Families torn apart. A legacy of darkness that refuses to die.

Buckle up. The heat in Salem this summer isn’t coming from the sun — it’s coming from the grave.