Salem is never short of drama, but this week, viewers were thrown straight into a sci-fi thriller when E.J. DiMera emerged from a secret lab, performing an experiment that left the community terrified.

Preview images released showed E.J. and his two co-workers – Mark and Dr. Rolf – mixing chemicals, turning on equipment, their faces expressionless as if it was all “planned.”

A cold blue light covered their faces, making the scene both sharp and terrifying.

E.J.’s experiment hasn’t been fully revealed, but sources say it involves manipulating human behavior.

In one notable scene, E.J. Leaning toward the screen, he looked at the series of biological data that was dancing around him and whispered, “We’re almost at the end.” His voice was cold and metallic, giving the audience goosebumps. Mark was clearly panicking, his gloved hands shaking as Rolf pushed a test tube toward him. It wasn’t hard to tell that Mark was being pressured, and Rolf was treating this game like a “day off.”

Kayla was the first to sense something was wrong. When she stopped by the lab to get the medical records, she froze when she heard the sound of a neuroscan machine coming from the closed room. Kayla pressed her ear to the door and heard a small argument between E.J. and Mark. She approached the crack and saw a silhouette lying motionless inside. The scene lasted only two seconds, but it was enough to raise the terrible question: was this experiment using real people?

That night, Kayla returned to investigate on her own. She walked into the dark hallway, the lights flickering in and out. When the lab door accidentally opened, she saw something that made her heart drop: a sketch of the experimental plan with red letters at the bottom: “Phase three: testing on selected subject.” Before she could read it, the lights went out and Mark appeared right behind her. His face was pale, his voice stuttering: “Doctor… you shouldn’t be here.” Kayla looked at him, her chest heaving: “What are you guys doing?” Mark looked down, not answering. Just silence – and that silence was more terrifying than any confession.

A powerful scene was previewed: E.J. looked straight into the camera (as if speaking to the viewer), his eyes sharp: “Sometimes, to save Salem… we have to cross the line.” This sentence opened up a series of speculations: Is E.J. doing bad things to eliminate worse things? Or is this just his way of justifying a project that has gone out of control?

It was even more terrifying when a strange man was carried into the lab on a stretcher. His face was covered but his hand twitched slightly. Rolf was as calm as if he were changing the battery in a robot. Mark wanted to retreat but E.J. held his shoulder, saying something that shocked the entire fandom: “You signed. There’s no going back.”

The episode set Salem on a grim path: if this experiment succeeds, who will be the victim? Who is being controlled by E.J.? And most importantly: who will be the first to stand up and stop him? Kayla is getting closer to the truth, but will she live long enough to reveal it?