ψ⁸: Dark Energy as Structural Retention — A Postmetric Cosmology of Difference

This article introduces a cosmological model in which dark energy is reinterpreted as structural retention rather than an unknown force. Based on the ψ⁸ architecture, the theory replaces the standard ΛCDM approach with a postmetric framework of held difference (Δψ) across retention nodes (Ξ). A formal Lagrangian is presented, along with testable predictions and a new ethical ontology of cosmic persistence. The ψ⁸ model offers a rigorous, retentive alternative to force-based expansion and opens a new direction in cosmological theory. This preprint introduces a new cosmological theory based on ψ⁸, where dark energy is modeled as structural retention rather than force. Academic reuse of the ψ⁸ conceptual model is permitted with citation. However, Lagrangian formulas and formal mathematical structures remain under authorial protection and may not be repurposed without explicit permission.