To wait or to act: what to do when a journal goes silent?

I log into the journal’s website, enter my credentials, and navigate to the Submissions Being Processed tab. It’s been three weeks, and my manuscript’s status hasn’t changed. Undergoing Initial Checking. Again. And again. I sigh and close the tab. But, of course, I’ll check again tomorrow. Nine months ago, I found myself in the same situation – my manuscript sat Under Review for months, only for me to receive a formal rejection with no explanation. Now, every time my submission lingers in editorial limbo, a familiar sense of unease creeps in: What if it happens again?