If the white powder envelope route was an invisible fear, then this week’s DiMera crypt is a very real, heavy, and suffocating fear.

The DiMera crypt is increasingly resembling a man-eating place, and this time Chad and Theo have to deal with something nobody wants: a new prisoner has been thrown in, making the already tense atmosphere even more strained.

The feeling here isn’t just fear of being locked up, but fear of losing one’s humanity, because in the crypt, the rules of the game aren’t about justice, but about who holds the key.

Chad and Theo are forced to remain calm, plan their survival, and watch who will break first and who will remain sane enough not to be led astray.

And Days won’t be “tough” here, because this week there’s a signal that the crypt will receive another person, meaning kidnapping and imprisonment are spreading like a plague. Outside of Crypt, things are equally toxic. Kristen continues to unleash her anger on EJ, accusing and attacking him, nearly causing their already chaotic relationship to explode. What’s terrifying about Kristen is that she’s not just angry; she’s angry enough to act recklessly, and when Kristen acts recklessly, the consequences often drag a whole host of characters down.

EJ isn’t innocent either, so this confrontation is difficult to side with, as everyone has a dirty history. In this context, Chad finds himself in the position of having to “put out the fire” for the whole family, worrying about the imprisoned person and the power struggle within the DiMera family turning into open violence. Theo isn’t just a victim; he’s drawn into an experience that could change him forever. Being trapped in darkness for long enough, he starts seeing things through survival instincts rather than morality.