If EJ’s amnesia and Rachel’s mental health are the spark, then the mysterious “stalker” appearing in the week of December 1–5 is the fuse that will set Salem ablaze.

Spoilers from iNews and SoapHub confirm that a new, never-before-seen character will enter Salem with a twisted identity — and his appearance is the key to unlocking the conspiracy that has been going on since the beginning of the year.

The stalker — tentatively called The Stranger — makes his first appearance as a shadowy figure on a park camera.

He stands still, motionless, watching Rachel from afar.

But that’s just the surface. The Stranger was also reportedly seen near EJ’s accident site. He also appears in a fragmented memory of EJ, where he sees two figures talking before he’s attacked.

The trailer reveals The Stranger meets Sofia — who’s running a shady operation — and they exchange a mysterious item. Sofia, with a cold look in her eyes, says, “It’s time.” This leads the fandom to believe that Sofia is the one who hired The Stranger — and that their target isn’t just EJ, but the entire DiMera family.

This plot gets even more weight when the spoiler reveals that The Stranger was the victim of an accident that the DiMera family covered up years ago. He didn’t come to Salem to scare people… he came to pay his debt, in the most brutal way.

A leaked scene shows The Stranger breaking into the Horton house, leaving a note that reads, “I saw it all.” No one knows who he’s targeting—Rachel, EJ, Brady, or even Marlena—but the message has everyone in Salem spooked.