One year. A whole year has passed since the discovery of the purple flower.

It's spring again. Naya and Tom are walking in the forest. Today is the Green Brigade's anniversary.

"Do you remember the first time we came here together?" Tom asks.

"How could I forget?" Naya laughed.

They come across a family with a little girl.

"Hello! Are you from the Green Brigade?" the father asked. "My daughter talks about you all the time. She wants to become a Guardian of the Forest like you!"

The little girl shows off her picnic in a reusable bag, without disposable packaging.

"Well done!" said Tom. "You're a real champion!"

Upon arriving at the clearing, they stopped, filled with wonder.

The transformation is spectacular! Purple flowers have colonized the entire area. There are hundreds of them, creating a sea of purple that ripples in the breeze. Butterflies, bees, birds... life is everywhere!

The first flower, the one Naya had discovered, is now enormous, like the queen of all the others.

A wooden bench has been installed with a plaque: "GREEN BRIGADE CLEARING – Preserved by the students of Jules Ferry school – A small gesture can create great things."

They sit down. Squirrels play near them. The fox sleeps peacefully in the sun.

Mr. Dubois, a retired volunteer, approaches.

"You know, your project has changed the whole neighborhood. People respect nature now. And three other schools have created their own Green Brigades!"

"That's true!" said Naya. "We even receive letters!"

Emma, Malik and Léa arrive with a magnificent cake decorated with green and purple flowers.

"It's the Green Brigade's anniversary!"

They settle down on the grass and share the cake.

"Do you remember when we thought we were too young to change things?" said Emma.

"And look now," said Léa, pointing to the flowery clearing. "We've proven we can make a difference!"

"Every action counts," Naya said. "Even the small ones."

They discuss their future plans: a garden at school, a climate march...

Suddenly, Naya notices something in the distance: a flash of bright red color.

" What is this ? "

"Shall we go see?" Tom suggests with a smile.

They cross the sea of purple flowers and discover a magnificent new flower with scarlet petals, like flames.

"Wow..." Naya breathes. "The forest trusts us. It shows us its treasures because it knows we will protect them."

"We have become the guardians of his secrets," said Tom.

As she left the forest that evening, Naya turned around one last time.

A year ago, she was just a little girl who loved to go for walks.

Today, she is Naya, co-founder of the Green Brigade, and living proof that you are never too young to change the world.

In the clearing, two extraordinary flowers – one purple, the other red – watch over a magnificent story.

A story that is only just beginning.

One year.

A whole year has passed since the day Naya discovered the beautiful purple flower in the polluted clearing.

It's spring again. The trees are budding, the birds are singing, and the sun is gently warming the earth.

Naya and Tom walk side by side on the forest path, as they have done hundreds of times this year. But today is a special day: it's the Green Brigade's anniversary.

"Do you remember the first time we came here together?" Tom asks, smiling.

"How could I forget?" Naya replied. "You tripped over a root while trying to look cool."

"Hey! That was a treacherous root!"

They laugh together, as close as ever.

As they approached the clearing, they came across a family: two parents and their little girl of about six years old.

"Hello!" said the father, greeting them. "Are you from the Green Brigade?"

"Yes!" replied Naya, surprised. "How do you know?"

"We saw you in the newspaper! My daughter talks about you all the time. She says she wants to become a 'Guardian of the Forest' like you when she grows up."

The little girl nods vigorously, her eyes shining with admiration.

"That's... that's really nice," said Naya, touched.

"We come here every weekend now," the mother continued. "It's become our favorite place. It's so peaceful and well-maintained."

"And look!" said the little girl, proudly showing off a reusable bag. "We brought our picnic without any disposable packaging!"

"Well done!" said Tom. "You're a true environmental champion!"

The family continues their walk, and Naya feels her heart swell with pride.

"You see that?" she whispers to Tom. "We inspire people."

"Isn't that crazy?"

They finally arrive at the clearing.

And they stop, gaping open.

The transformation is spectacular. The clearing is no longer the same as it was a year ago.

Purple flowers have colonized almost the entire area. There are hundreds, perhaps thousands, creating an ocean of purple and gold that ripples in the breeze. Some are large, others small, but all are magnificent and perfectly healthy.

Butterflies flit from flower to flower. Bees buzz happily, collecting pollen. Birds peck at seeds in the tall grass.

In the center of the clearing, the very first flower, the one Naya had discovered, reigned majestically. It had grown enormous, almost twice the size of the others, like the queen of all purple flowers.

"Hey, you," Naya murmured, approaching gently. "You're still here."

A bench made from recycled wood has been installed on the side of the clearing, donated by the town hall. A small bronze plaque is affixed to it:

**“CLEARING OF THE GREEN BRIGADE**
**Preserved and restored by the students of the Jules Ferry school**
**A small gesture can create great things**

Naya and Tom sit on the bench and watch the scene in silence.

"It's hard to believe," Naya finally said. "A year ago, this place was covered in trash. And now..."

"Now it's a little paradise," Tom concludes.

A squirrel passes by them, carrying a hazelnut in its mouth. It gives them a curious but not frightened look, then climbs upin a tree.

"These are the children of the squirrel family we saw last year," said Naya. "They've grown up. They've had their own babies."

"A whole dynasty of squirrels!" laughed Tom.

A rustling sound catches their attention. On the other side of the clearing, the red fox appears. He has become accustomed to their presence. He stops, observes them for a moment, then settles down quietly in the sun to rest.

"He comes every day now," said a voice behind them.

Naya and Tom turn around. It's Mr. Dubois, a retired man from the neighborhood who has become one of the volunteer "Guardians of the Forest".

"Hello, Mr. Dubois!" they say in unison.

"Hello, children! Have you come to admire your work?"

"We still can't believe it," said Naya.

"You should!" said the old man, sitting down beside them. "You have accomplished something remarkable. I am seventy years old, and I have never seen children so determined and effective."

"Thank you," said Naya, blushing slightly.

“You know,” Mr. Dubois continued, “your project has changed much more than just this forest. It has changed the whole neighborhood. People are more careful now. They respect nature. They sort their waste. They walk here with their children and pass these values on to them.”

"Is that true?" asked Tom, his eyes shining.

"Absolutely. And that's not all. I've heard that three other schools in the area have created their own Green Brigades. One takes care of the municipal park, another of the river, and the third of the Belleville woods."

"We know!" exclaims Naya. "We even received letters from those schools! They're asking us for advice!"

"There you go! You've started a movement. That, my children, is what we call having an impact."

Mr. Dubois gets up, leaning on his cane.

"Okay, I have to continue my rounds. The garbage cans near the lake need to be checked."

"Do you want us to help you?" Tom offered.

"No, no. Enjoy your clearing. You've earned it."

He walks away, giving them a small wave.

Naya takes her notebook out of her bag. It's not the same one as at the beginning. This is now her third notebook. The first two are filled with drawings, observations, and notes about the plants and animals of the forest.

She opens it to a blank page and begins to draw the clearing as it is today: the carpet of purple flowers, the fox in the sun, the butterflies dancing in the air.

"Your drawing is magnificent," said Tom, looking over his shoulder.

"Thank you. I want to keep track of each step. To remember. And perhaps to show others that it's possible."

"You know what?" said Tom, pulling out his phone. "We should take a picture. For the blog."

Tom did indeed create a blog last year: "The Adventures of the Green Brigade." He regularly posts photos, articles, and tips on protecting the environment. The blog now has over 2,000 subscribers!

"Good idea!"

They take several photos: the clearing as a whole, close-ups of the flowers, the sleeping fox, and even a selfie of the two of them with the ocean of purple flowers in the background.

"Perfect!" said Tom. "Tonight, I'm going to write a special 'One Year Later' article."

They still remainfor a long time in the clearing, enjoying the peace and beauty of the place.

Naya is thinking about everything that has happened this year.

The Green Brigade has grown. Now, twenty-three students from the school are part of it, not just their class. They organize a clean-up operation every month, monitor the five recycling points, and run workshops for the younger students.

The regional newspaper article was published and was a huge success. It was even picked up by a national media outlet! Naya keeps the article safe and sound in a special folder.

The mayor invited them to present their project at an environmental conference. Naya was so nervous she was trembling, but in the end, everything went very well. The adults in the room gave them a standing ovation!

The Green Brigade even won the Youth Engagement Prize, awarded by the department. With the 500 euro prize, they bought materials to build birdhouses and insect hotels, which they installed throughout the forest.

And most importantly, the forest has become a place that everyone respects and appreciates. Litter has practically disappeared. Recycling bins are used properly. People walk around admiring nature instead of polluting it.

"What are you thinking about?" Tom asks, seeing Naya's dreamy smile.

"To everything we've done. To everything that's changed."

"It's crazy, isn't it?"

"Yes. When I discovered this flower a year ago, I didn't think it would go this far. I just wanted to... protect it."

"And you did it. We did it."

Naya nods, then looks at her friend.

"Tom, do you think we could have succeeded if we had been alone?"

Tom thought for a moment.

“Honestly? No. You alone, or me alone, we might have cleaned the clearing once or twice. But to really change things, to install the bins, to create a movement… it took several people. It took the whole class. And then the parents, the mayor, the volunteers…”

"That's what I think too," said Naya. "Alone, I was a drop of water. But together, we became a wave."

"I like this picture!" smiled Tom.

Suddenly, they hear familiar voices. Emma, Malik and Léa arrive in the clearing.

"We've been looking everywhere for you!" said Emma. "We knew you'd be here!"

"It's the Green Brigade's anniversary!" explains Naya. "We wanted to celebrate it here, where it all began."

"We had the same idea!" said Malik, pulling a package out of his bag. "Look!"

It's a cake. A magnificent round cake decorated with green icing and small purple and gold sugar flowers.

"My mother made it especially for me!" said Léa proudly.

"He's magnificent!" exclaims Naya, her eyes shining.

They all sit in a circle on the grass and share the cake. It's a simple but perfect moment.

"Do you remember when Mrs. Leroux told us we weren't too young to make a difference?" said Emma, her mouth full of cake.

“Yes,” said Malik. “At first, I had doubts. I thought to myself, ‘What can we do, we have children?’”

"And look now," said Léa, gesturing broadly towards the flowery clearing. "We've proven her right."

"You're never too young to change the world," Tom said with conviction.

"“Every action counts,” Naya adds. “Even the small ones. Even those that seem insignificant at first.”

They finish the cake while discussing their future projects. The Green Brigade doesn't intend to stop there. They have plenty of ideas: creating an educational garden at the school, organizing a large climate march, proposing a partnership with the library to create a "nature" corner...

"We'll always have work!" laughed Emma.

"That's great!" Naya replied. "It means we still have a lot to accomplish."

As they prepare to leave, Naya notices something in the distance, at the other end of the clearing.

A burst of color.

A bright red she'd never seen here before.

"What is it?" she murmured, intrigued.

Tom follows her gaze.

"I don't know. A new flower?"

Naya stands up and squints to see better.

"It looks... different."

"Do you want to go see?" Tom suggests with a knowing smile.

Naya smiles back at him.

" Obviously. "

The others watch them walk away towards the mysterious new burst of color.

"They will never change," Malik said, laughing softly.

"Thank goodness!" replied Emma. "That's how they discovered the first flower. Who knows what they'll find this time?"

Naya and Tom cross the sea of purple flowers, careful where they step. The mysterious red glow becomes clearer as they approach.

"Do you think this is the beginning of a new adventure?" Tom asks.

"Maybe," Naya replied, her eyes shining with excitement. "Maybe."

They arrive within a few meters of the red flash and stop.

It is a flower. A flower none of them has ever seen. Its petals are a deep scarlet red with orange highlights, like flames. It is as large and majestic as the first purple flower was.

"Wow..." Naya breathes.

"She's incredible," Tom murmured.

Naya instinctively takes out her notebook and begins to draw the new flower, noting every detail.

"You know what?" she said, looking up at Tom. "I think the forest trusts us now. It's showing us its treasures because it knows we'll protect them."

"You're right," said Tom softly. "We've become the guardians of his secrets."

They stay there for a few more minutes, admiring the new red flower, imagining what it will become, wondering if it too will multiply like the purple flowers.

Then, hand in hand, they return to their friends who are waiting for them in the clearing.

The sun begins its descent toward the horizon, creating that golden light Naya loves so much. The purple flowers seem to glow from within. The fox has woken up and is stretching lazily. A butterfly lands on Naya's shoulder, stays for a few seconds, then flies off into the sky.

As she left the forest that evening, Naya turned around one last time.

The clearing is there, beautiful and peaceful, like a jewel hidden in the heart of the forest.

A year ago, she was just a little girl who loved to go for walks.

Today, she is Naya, co-founder of the Green Brigade, protector of nature, and living proof that you are never too young to change the world.

And somewhere in the clearing, two extraordinary flowers – oneviolet, the other red – stand proudly, like the silent guardians of a magnificent story.

A story that is only just beginning.