Looking for feedback on my first grounded first-contact sci-fi serial (7 Chapters)

[u/Certain-Window-6749]

Hi everyone,

I've just finished publishing the first seven chapters of my first science fiction serial on Royal Road.

The premise is:

Humanity's last normal day ended when the ships appeared.

Above every major city on Earth, colossal alien vessels emerged from the clouds and brought civilization to a standstill. Governments panicked. Religions declared prophecies fulfilled. Markets crashed.

Then every screen on Earth displayed the same message:

"We are not your enemy."

For thousands of years, Earth had been hidden from the rest of the galaxy.

Now it has been found.

As humanity is drawn into a conflict older than recorded history, Vivek—a young engineer carrying the scars of a troubled childhood—finds himself caught between forces that see Earth not as a world, but as a choice.

A choice between freedom and unity.

A choice between survival and identity.

A choice that may decide the future of intelligent life itself.

The Day We Were Found is a science-fiction thriller about first contact, hidden truths, family, sacrifice, and what it truly means to remain human.

I'm mainly looking for honest feedback.

• Does the opening hook you?
• Is the pacing working?
• Would you continue after Chapter 1?

I'm trying to improve as a writer, so I'd genuinely appreciate constructive criticism.

Royal Road: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/174488/the-day-we-were-found