Outside the main front, Salem still has other chess games moving strangely. Xander Kiriakis — the once wild, now lonely man.

Despair after a series of failures leaves Xander sitting alone at the bar, his bottle of wine slowly emptying.

And Gwen Rizczech walks in. No confession, no consolation like candy — just puts her hand on the table, looks straight into Xander’s eyes and says she “understands” him.

That look makes Xander waver. Gwen — sharp, cold — shows gentleness right when he is at his lowest.

Viewers wonder: is it genuine sympathy, or bait before a big move? Because Salem is never short of turning around.

On another front, EJ DiMera shakes hands with Theo Carver to find Chad, put aside hatred, and stand on the same side. Two men of opposite temperaments now have to divide the map, divide the clues, divide the responsibilities. But this is only a temporary alliance: when the truth is revealed, anyone can turn their backs.

What’s more, Ray Walters — who has been involved in many shady cases — is quietly observing everything from behind the scenes. He watches Rachel decline, Marlena get sick, Chad disappear, DiMera go crazy. Ray doesn’t directly interfere — but all the events are going his way. In Salem, only the smartest people are behind the scenes, not in the spotlight.

And the souls colliding out there — Rachel, Marlena, Chad, Xander, EJ — may all be unwittingly caught in Ray’s calculations.